Ukraine's Medical Facilities Accumulate Unspent Billions Amid War
Date: 2023-10-26 Author: Dima Zakharov Categories: ECONOMY
Ukraine's Ministry of Finance has revealed that the accounts of medical facilities in Ukraine, including those located in the territories occupied by Russia, have seen a 1.6-fold increase in their remaining balances since the introduction of a state of war in Ukraine. As of June 30, 2023, the accumulated funds on the accounts of healthcare providers reached ₴26 billion, which is ₴10 billion more than on January 1, 2022.
Roman Yermolichev, Deputy Minister of Finance, emphasized that the government, with the support of international partners, is taking all possible measures to ensure the timely funding of hospitals providing medical services under the Medical Guarantees Program. This substantial accumulation of funds highlights the need for a change in the approach to payment for medical services, especially for providers in temporarily occupied territories, to efficiently utilize the accumulated resources and strengthen quality and free services for patients.
The Ministry of Finance clarified that primary healthcare institutions have ₴3.4 billion, emergency medical care institutions ₴3.2 billion, and specialized medical care institutions ₴19.4 billion in their accounts. As of June 30, 2023, the largest balances were in emergency medical care providers, notably in Donetsk region (₴646.3 million), Kharkiv region (₴448.2 million), Kirovohrad region (₴369.6 million), Zaporizhia region (₴219 million), and Luhansk region (₴193 million). The most significant increase in unspent funds is observed among institutions located in temporarily occupied territories. The balances of 148 such providers increased by 3.6 times, totaling ₴1.9 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Finance.
A substantial increase in balances is also noticeable in healthcare institutions of oncological profile. Since the beginning of 2022, 28 providers have seen their balances almost double, with an accumulated amount of ₴2.3 billion. Meanwhile, 9 institutions have balances ranging from ₴118 million to over ₴270 million, indicating partial payment by patients for services already fully covered by the state, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Roman Yermolichev, Deputy Minister of Finance, emphasized that the government, with the support of international partners, is taking all possible measures to ensure the timely funding of hospitals providing medical services under the Medical Guarantees Program. This substantial accumulation of funds highlights the need for a change in the approach to payment for medical services, especially for providers in temporarily occupied territories, to efficiently utilize the accumulated resources and strengthen quality and free services for patients.
The Ministry of Finance clarified that primary healthcare institutions have ₴3.4 billion, emergency medical care institutions ₴3.2 billion, and specialized medical care institutions ₴19.4 billion in their accounts. As of June 30, 2023, the largest balances were in emergency medical care providers, notably in Donetsk region (₴646.3 million), Kharkiv region (₴448.2 million), Kirovohrad region (₴369.6 million), Zaporizhia region (₴219 million), and Luhansk region (₴193 million). The most significant increase in unspent funds is observed among institutions located in temporarily occupied territories. The balances of 148 such providers increased by 3.6 times, totaling ₴1.9 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Finance.
A substantial increase in balances is also noticeable in healthcare institutions of oncological profile. Since the beginning of 2022, 28 providers have seen their balances almost double, with an accumulated amount of ₴2.3 billion. Meanwhile, 9 institutions have balances ranging from ₴118 million to over ₴270 million, indicating partial payment by patients for services already fully covered by the state, according to the Ministry of Finance.
