The Ukrainian parliament on Oct. 19 finally passed a law that will trigger the start of long-awaited medical reform in Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada approved bill No. 6327 on financing of the healthcare system from the country’s budget with 240 votes in favor. Lawmakers also approved five amendments to the legislation.
It took the Rada only a minute to vote for three important amendments to the medical reform bill, which was proposed by Acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun.
The law stipulates a series of changes to be made by 2020, including the introduction of a insurance system financed by the government, and a mechanism to allow patients to choose doctors and hospitals themselves.
According to the law, some medical services will remain covered by the state (although a list of them is yet to be finalized). Meanwhile, doctors will be able to set their own prices for their services, and choose which hospitals and clinics to use.
“Nobody likes Ukrainian medical services today – neither doctors nor patients,” Suprun said at parliament on Oct 19.
“But starting next year, patients and doctors will have completely new relationships with the healthcare system,” she said. “We will finally be able to regain the dignity of doctors and patients in our healthcare system. This is only the first, but decisive step in large systemic transformations.”
But there was opposition to Suprun’s legislation. Doctor Olga Bogomolets, the chairwoman of the Verkhovna Rada’s Health Committee, said the changes approved by the parliament would ruin lives, as people would not be able to afford treatment for serious illnesses.
“Genocide has begun: Ukrainians will be destroyed by this law,” Bogomolets said on Oct. 19 after the Rada passed the health reform bill.
“After a long campaign that included black PR, bullying and outright lies, lobbyists still managed to push through this shameful law, which deprives millions of socially vulnerable people of the opportunity to be treated, the ability to survive,” Bogomolets said.
Right after passing the law on financing healthcare, the Rada approved two other related bills at first reading: one on telemedicine (to provide people in remote areas with access to medical services), and another that amends the financial code of Ukraine.
Parliament reviewed a total of 893 amendments to medical reform package over three days, from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19. Only seven were approved, and the majority of MPs didn’t even take part in the votes, which were held at a rate of roughly one every two minutes.
