Yanukovych: Our priority is modernizing primary medical assistance

The large-scale program of reforms introduced in Ukraine is aimed at creating the living conditions, in which people look with confidence into the future, care about their well-being and health, President Viktor Yanukovych said, speaking at the High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases held in New York.

According to the President, one of the priorities for next year is modernizing primary healthcare. “For many regions of Ukraine that would mean the revival of rural medicine, which, unfortunately, is still in a difficult situation. Thereby we will bring healthcare closer to citizens, and provide for the prevention and early diagnosis of non-communicable diseases,” he said, ForUm learned in the presdiential press office.

Another priority of Ukraine’s healthcare policy President Yanukovych called fighting tobacco smoking. “Ukraine became among the first in Eastern Europe to sign a relevant WHO Framework Convention. The excise tax was raised, stricter trade requirements, advertising ban, and restrictions on smoking in public places were introduced, yielding tangible results: we can state that every fourth smoker did quit,” the President noted.

In his address President Yanukovych also mentioned the problem of injuries. “We have made progress in preventing trauma. Over the last three years, the number of victims of traffic accidents decreased 2.4 times,” he informed.

Among the objectives of healthcare system reform in Ukraine the president named an effective system of health insurance, President Viktor Yanukovych told journalists in New York. 

He stressed that the program of healthcare reform in Ukraine is intended to work for many years, and during its implementation the most effective solutions to ensure good results should be applied. 

"A doctor should be reachable to people, and people should feel that they are treated by a specialist," Yanukovych said. He said the reform foresees improving such areas as emergency medical assistance, family medicine, and outpatient care at specialized centers. "Certainly, health insurance will have its rightful place among those. We have gradual reform foreseen in this area too," he said. According to him, the working citizens will be investing in their health by themselves, and those poor and unable to pay will be supported by the state through government programs. 

The President also noted that public-private partnership would be used in the system of medical care just as in other areas. He added that Ukraine has already adopted the relevant legislation. "This is a common practice ... Private-public partnership is a very effective method of achieving the goal in any area," Viktor Yanukovych said.