In October 2021, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (hereinafter - MoH) started to develop the Strategy of the healthcare system development till 2030 in Ukraine (hereinafter - the Strategy). The document have to be developed and approved by 01.12.2021 according to the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 18.08.2021 №369/2021 "On the Decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine as of July 30, 2021 "On the State of the National Healthcare System and Urgent Measures to Provide Citizens of Ukraine with Medical Care." (hereinafter - Decree). The experts of Chamber member companies consider such timelines are insufficient for proper expert elaboration and preparation of such an important document. It's also important to identify the goals of the Strategy and relevant key indicators of its progress and the effectiveness of implementation, which can be monitored.
Experts of Chamber member companies believe that following goals are important and necessary components of the Strategy:
1. Implementation of a consistent digital transformation of the healthcare sphere in order to digitalize the functions, services, and interaction of regulatory authorities, the transition to "paperless" regime, efficient integrated data usage, as well as improving, expanding e-services, information about a patient and respective communication, providing the necessary level of technical equipment and staffing for government agencies and healthcare facilities, etc.
2. Recognition of conformity and appropriate level of maturity of the regulatory system of Ukraine by relevant international mutual recognition agreements with countries with stringent regulatory authorities, which could be achieved as a result of multilevel harmonization and implementation of appropriate norms, standards and practices.
3. Further implementation of healthcare reform with ensuring the development and quality of universal health coverage with highly effective and expanding access to the modern medical technologies. Ensuring following:
- mechanisms for making and implementing decisions that are driven by evidence-based medicine;
- access to innovative medical technologies taking into account the life cycle of innovations;
- stimulating and expanding the mechanisms of public-private partnership to attract private investment for modernization of medical help infrastructure;
- ensuring appropriate protection of intellectual property rights as a critical condition for the development of research capacity in the country and access to innovative medical technologies;
- e. development and improvement of mechanisms for guaranteeing medical care with proper fulfillment of obligations regarding their funding.
4. Introduction of measures aimed at the development of a competitive market of medical technologies and medical services, as well as its investment attractiveness. According to current legislation, international agreements and conditions of Ukraine's membership in international organizations (for example, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, etc.), the state have to ensure the development of such a market, prevent and refrain from measures that provide non-competitive advantages to market operators, to guarantee the conditions for the exercise and protection of private property rights and the entrepreneurship right, along with other basic conditions for the development of the sphere and the economy.
5. Consistent fulfillment of obligations of Ukraine’s under international agreements and conditions of membership in international organizations that influence and define key aspects of healthcare, including the Association Agreement between Ukraine, on the one hand, and the European The Union, the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, on the other hand, the Council of Europe Convention on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health (MEDICRIME), and so on.
6. Creation and development of a differentiated (multi-source) system of guaranteed funding of medical care, which includes mechanisms to ensure its efficiency and transparency. Within the framework of this goal, important components are the use of effective mechanisms for funding of the sphere and the use of budget funds, the creation of an effective system of analysis and monitoring of the use of budget funds.
Regarding the mentioned above, the Chamber member companies call the intersectoral working group to take into account the suggestions of the business community on developing the Strategy and hope for a constructive dialogue.
