A year after epidemic-related quarantine measures were introduced, healthcare workers’ problems remain unsolved. This was stated by OPPOSITION PLATFORM – FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin commenting on situation in the healthcare sector.

“A year ago, when the government sent the nation into the lockdown for the first time, it was obvious that our healthcare workers’ issues must be resolved urgently, otherwise we would have no healthcare system to get us through the epidemic. Back then, the Cabinet promised 300-percent bonuses for healthcare employees dealing with coronavirus-affected patients. But in real life the payments turned out to be much lower and often delayed. This resulted in fact that one year into the epidemic, healthcare sector salary is at mere 77 percent from the economy average,” the politician said.

He reminded that the need for doctors and nurses increased in many countries due to the pandemic, and our neighbors to the west have not only increased healthcare salaries but also simplified employment procedure for professionals from abroad.

“Today, medical workers in several neighboring countries earn over 1,000 euro monthly, and this should encourage our government to find ways for keeping Ukraine’s healthcare personnel. In the meantime, their income is lower than that of their peers in Eastern Europe and than Ukrainian average. In addition, the government failed to provide healthcare workers with coronavirus vaccine they would feel safe to use. As a result, the Healthcare Ministry says, 60 percent of healthcare workers refused to get vaccinated,” the MP said.

“In Ukraine, no incentives were created to keep our doctors from labor migration abroad. On the eve of the next epidemic wave, it presents an extremely dangerous situation the government is reluctant to react to. With salaries ranging between 5,000 and 9,000 hryvnia, we will not keep our medical workers from leaving. The budget must be revised in March and decisions must be made in timely manner, unlike last year,” Lovochkin summed up.