New Hospital Funding Rules in Ukraine: Surgical Departments Face Closure
The National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) is introducing new requirements for the funding of medical institutions. Starting July 1, some surgical departments in small towns and villages may be left without state support. This decision is linked to new standards for hospital performance efficiency.
According to the new rules, a surgical department must perform at least 600 major surgeries per year to receive state funding. If a medical institution does not meet this minimum requirement, the NHSU will stop funding this specific area. The main goal of these changes is to ensure high-quality medical care and patient safety.
One of the first institutions to feel these changes is the hospital in the village of Domanivka, Mykolaiv region. Due to an insufficient number of surgeries performed, the surgical department there will no longer receive money from the NHSU. Now, local authorities and hospital management must decide how to continue operating under the new conditions.
Healthcare experts explain that surgeons must have constant practice to maintain their professional form. When there are too few surgeries, doctors may lose necessary skills, which creates risks for patients. Therefore, the state has decided to concentrate resources in those hospitals where medical staff work actively and have extensive experience.
The reform of the medical system in Ukraine is ongoing, and these changes are part of a strategy to improve the quality of services. Although residents of small settlements may now have to travel to larger cities for complex surgeries, this is intended to guarantee them safer and more professional treatment.