Experts and representatives of private medical institutions criticise the Ministry of Health’s initiative to ban direct payments for MRI and CT services in municipal hospitals. They fear longer queues and the inability to replace private investments with public funds. This is reported by the portal PromPolitInform citing capital.kiev.ua
Market participants and representatives of patient organizations discussed the risks of the Ministry of Health’s draft law, which prohibits private diagnostic centers from receiving payment from patients based on municipal institutions, during a press conference held at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Tuesday. According to experts, such an initiative may complicate access to examinations and create additional barriers.
Medical Director of LLC Apparatna Medytsyna Anna Kravets noted that private centres ensure not only the availability of equipment, but also professional support and protocol development. She believes that instead of a total ban, an electronic accounting system and transparent separation of paid and free services should be implemented.
Investors point to a threat of diagnostic capacity shortages
CEO of MDC Expert Oleksandr Haidabas emphasised that private businesses have invested millions of hryvnias over the years in the reconstruction of dilapidated hospital facilities. He warned that if the draft law is passed without a compensation mechanism, investors will cease operations, leading to a diagnostic collapse.
Executive Director of the Association of Private Medical Institutions of Ukraine Anna Kulyk calculated that replacing private infrastructure with state-owned ones would require at least 10 billion UAH in expenses. She noted that the proposed changes effectively block the use of insurance and assistance from charitable foundations.
Patient organisations call for the initiative to be revised
President of the All-Ukrainian Council for Patients’ Rights and Safety Viktor Serdiuk warned about the risk of restricting patients’ rights to choose the method and place of payment for medical services. He urged the Ministry of Health to focus on controlling the use of state-owned equipment rather than creating new administrative hurdles.
Illustrative photo: Goleisureintl / CC BY 4.0
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