Krolevets private hospital “My Doctor” LLC has become one of the first 12 private institutions in Ukraine that have concluded agreements with the National Health Service of Ukraine. This is a historic step, as well as a good start and a pattern to follow for those in the region who still doubt whether to support the reform.

This agreement means that for the first time the state will cover the treatment of citizens, who signed the declaration with a private clinic or with a doctor-private entrepreneur. 12 private hospitals and doctors-private entrepreneurs, with whom the National Health Service has signed contracts, will receive funding at the same rates as communal outpatient clinics.

According to the data of the Ministry of Health, UAH 340 will be annually received for the patient of the age group of 18-39, UAH 1480 – for the patient of 0-5 years of age, UAH 814 – for 6-17 year old patient, UAH 444 – for the patient of 40-64 years of age, UAH 740 – for 65-year old patient and elder.

All patients, who have signed declarations with doctors, will receive primary healthcare services free of charge, since they will be covered by the National Health Service.

Regardless of whether you choose a doctor in a private or communal healthcare institution, you can receive the same free-of-charge range of services. Requirements for both communal and private medical institutions are also the same – all of them must meet the NHSU’s standards in terms of licenses, specialists, equipment and provision of services.

“We have previewed this opportunity since the very beginning of the transformation of the healthcare system, and finally we can declare it officially. For the first time, the state begins to direct funding to private medical institutions, which is an example of the “money-follows-the patient” principle, when the state allows the patient to choose where to be treated, and pays for his choice,” wrote acting Minister of Health Ulyana Suprun on her facebook page.

Olena Pinchuk, chief doctor of “My Doctor” LLC and pediatrician, who acted as the main initiator of cooperation with the National Health Service of Ukraine, says that before co-operating with the NSZU, they were preparing for the opening of the institution: they studied the requirements and standards of the Ministry of Health, monitored experience of their colleagues from other oblasts, considered foreign experience.

Olena Pinchuk

Registration of the LLC “My Doctor” and license obtaining took almost 2 months, and less than 1 month – to sign agreement with the NHSU.

“My Doctor” LLC has been operating since December 2017 and is already actively signing declarations with patients from the Krolevetska AH, Krolevets Rayon and the city of Konotop. The team of the healthcare centre includes: pediatrician, physician, two nurses and a registrar. Both doctors have more than 20 years of experience. The institution itself works from 8 am to 8 pm, including Saturdays.

The partner of the medical institution is the Krolevets Central Rayon Hospital, whereto primary healthcare physicians, if necessary, send patients to doctors of a more narrow specialisation: cardiologist, gynecologist, endocrinologist, etc. In case of family doctor’s reference, secondary healthcare is also free of charge.

Patients of the private hospital are surprised that due to the reform they have the opportunity to be treated in modern conditions for free

The institution concluded agreements with the laboratories of the Krolevets Central Rayon Hospital and one of the private clinics in the city of Sumy for conducting laboratory tests.

“My Doctor” LLC provides a guaranteed primary healthcare package

Funds for the patient’s treatment come to centre’s account every month in the form of 1/12 of the annual sum, allowing the patient to change the doctor at any time, and money will follow him/her.

To assist in carrying out the healthcare reform in the Sumy Oblast, the Sumy Local Government Development Centre, established with the support of the U-LEAD with Europe Programme and MinRegion, together with the oblast state administration, organised two specialised seminars with experts on the healthcare reform implementation in Ukraine.

Local authorities in the Sumy Oblast, doctors and patients, should not hesitate, but join the healthcare reform, because the new level of income for the doctor's practice and the new level of service provided for the patient are the drivers of fundamental changes. And here the Sumy Oblast should show good dynamics of reforms.

The full version is available in Ukrainian – please click HERE