Ministry of Health discusses prospects of primary healthcare financing with partners

Primary healthcare is the entry point to the healthcare system. Thanks to sustainable financing of this area of medicine, Ukrainians have gained open access not only to the choice of a doctor or medical institution, but also to a wider range of services they can receive from their family doctor, therapist or pediatrician.

“A key component of healthcare reform is to strengthen the principles of financing primary care services. It is about universal coverage of services and prioritization of such care. Our goals are efficiency, equity in the distribution of healthcare resources, transparency and accountability,” said First Deputy Minister of Health Serhii Dubrov at a roundtable discussion on primary healthcare financing with the participation of WHO and partners.

The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization, the National Health Service, professional and patient organizations working on the development and transformation of the healthcare sector in Ukraine, including primary healthcare, as well as representatives of primary healthcare providers.

During the roundtable, the results of the calculation of primary healthcare costs, a study on the impact of the war on the costs of primary healthcare providers, and a study on the use of time by primary healthcare providers were presented. The parties also outlined a roadmap for primary healthcare financing, including identifying further priorities for changes in primary healthcare financing that would help improve the quality of medical care in the coming years.

It should be recalled that earlier, the Ministry of Health reported that the World Health Organization is ready to continue to help and support Ukraine and promote access to medical care and rapid response to threats.