The ‘healthcare reform’ implemented by the previous administration has been ruining Ukrainian healthcare system. According to OPPOSITION PLATFORM — FOR LIFE MP Serhiy Lovochkin, the new government will have to reverse the effects of the ‘reform’ and increase the healthcare system funding.

“What was branded as ‘reform’ turned out to be sharp cuts in budget financing of the healthcare system. In legal language it sounded as a decrease from ‘not less than 10 percent of the national income’ to ‘not less than 5 percent of the GDP.’ Still, the ‘5 percent’ threshold is not being met. Over the five years, healthcare expenses share in the GDP dropped from 4.2 percent in 2013 to 3.3 percent in 2018 and is forecast at 3.1 percent in 2019. Each basis point of the cut means hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who did not receive healthcare services. We must stop this,” Lovochkin said.

The politician said that in addition to being gradually cut, the healthcare expense is also underfinanced. As of four months of 2019, it only saw 86 percent of planned funding. State procurement of medicine was financed by only 0.02 percent.

According to the MP, the situation has resulted in sharp decrease of the number of medical clinics and hospitals — about one in four has been closed. The remaining hospitals are seeing a decrease in the number of in-patient beds.

“Over the five years, 403 hospitals have been closed. 1,416 of them remain, but if the ‘reform’ continues, we will lose many of them as well. The task of the new administration before the election is to restore the system that is being destroyed by the ‘reform.’ They should stop closing the hospitals, especially in rural areas, restore normal operations of emergency medical service, and eliminate the deficit of medicines procured under state programs with budget funding. This is a doable task for 2019,” Lovochkin summed up.