Today the news agency “Interfax-Ukraine” held press conference on “Private medicine in Ukraine: three years of war and further challenges”.

The participants of the press conference were representatives of the members of the Association of Private Medical Institutions of Ukraine, moderated the event by Maxim Urakin, Director of Development of Interfax-Ukraine.

‍Olena Yeshchenko, Chairman of the Association and CEO and co-founder of the network of private clinics Smart Medical Center and Smart klinika, stressed that private medicine in Ukraine is a socially responsible business that plays an important role in providing quality medical care to citizens, especially in the conditions of war. Currently, private medical institutions that are part of the association serve more than 8 million Ukrainians, providing care in decent conditions. However, the private sector faces a number of obstacles due to regulatory and legal barriers that create unequal conditions with state and municipal institutions. She stressed that the state should take into account the interests of private medicine, promote its development and include private institutions in national health strategies.

Despite the difficulties, the Smart Medical Center network of clinics continued to operate smoothly even during the most difficult periods of the war, providing quality medical care to thousands of patients and demonstrating their reliability and readiness to work in challenging conditions.

‍Vadim Zukin, the operational director of the multidisciplinary medical center “Stork”, spoke about how the war forced the institution to quickly adapt to new conditions. During the active fighting, Stork, which was then functioning as a hospital, not only continued to perform its main tasks, but also provided assistance to local residents and wounded servicemen. Subsequently, the center was reconfigured into a multidisciplinary institution, which made it possible to improve the quality of services and expand their range. Mr. Zukin also stressed the importance of international accreditation: “Stork” became the only medical institution in Ukraine that confirmed JCI accreditation during the war, which is evidence of the high standards of quality of medical care.

At the same time, he noted that the state underestimates the potential of private medicine as a source of investment. To attract investors, it is necessary to create favorable conditions, in particular, to conclude long-term contracts for 7-15 years. This would promote the development of the private sector, which can become an important partner in providing quality medical care.

‍Mykola Skavronskyi, Deputy General Director of ML “Synevo Ukraine”, spoke about the difficulties that the laboratory overcomes during the war. In 2022, due to a full-scale invasion, Synevo lost more than 30 branches in different regions.A special challenge was the need to resume work exclusively at its own expense, since the support of private medical institutions from the state was lacking.

Mr Skavronsky also highlighted discrimination in private medicine, particularly in the information field, despite the fact that the private sector makes up a large part of areas such as laboratory diagnostics (more than 70%), dentistry and ophthalmology. In 2024, Synevo joined the PMG Medical Guarantee Program, which allowed thousands of patients to receive free tests. However, according to Skavronsky, the state still does not understand the real needs for laboratory diagnostics, and cooperation with NSU is accompanied by numerous difficulties due to low tariffs and lack of clear rules. Despite this, Synevo continues to invest in its development, spending millions of hryvnias on energy efficiency and supporting the strategy of long-term partnership with the state.

‍Oleksandra Mashkevych, medical director of the Dobrobut medical network, shared the experience of the institution in the conditions of war. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the network's facilities were forced to close temporarily, but quickly resumed work in Kyiv and the region, in particular in Irpen and Brovary, where they provided assistance to patients, including the injured, free of charge. In 2023, the network performed more than 11,000 surgical interventions, made 14,000 emergency calls and had about 1.5 million visits. Ms. Mashkevich also emphasized the social responsibility of the network: a mental health center and a charitable foundation “Dobrobut” were created, thanks to which more than 3 thousand patients received free treatment. At the same time, the network began cooperation with NSU on a package of assisted reproductive technologies, but is facing difficulties due to low tariffs that do not cover the costs.

Ms. Mashkevich noted that the state has begun to take steps towards private medicine, such as the inclusion of private institutions in a single portal of medical vacancies and the ability to participate in the distribution of students into internships. She expressed hope for more active cooperation in the future, as well as for the inclusion of private medicine in the strategic documents of the Ministry of Health.

‍Elena AfanasievaDirector of LDC “Aneli”, announced an important event for private medicine in Ukraine — the accession of the Association of Private Medical Institutions of Ukraine to the European Association of Private Hospitals UEHP. According to her, this cooperation opens up new opportunities for the exchange of experience, participation in European programs and the development of standards of medical care.

Ms. Afanasieva stressed that European colleagues also face the problem of discrimination in the private sector, but recognize that delegating part of medical services to private institutions is economically expedient.She stressed that this interaction will contribute to improving the quality of medical services in Ukraine and integration into international medical initiatives.

‍Dmytro Gavrychenko, medical director of the Medical Home “Odrex”, spoke about how the institution has worked without interruption since the beginning of the war, providing assistance to patients and the military, including those affected by rocket attacks. The hospital is one of the few contracted NSU for 9 service packages, including heart attacks, strokes and surgical care. He also highlighted unfair restrictions in contracting rules that deprive hospitals with contracted laboratories of the right to provide services for public funds.

Mr. Gavrychenko stressed that private hospitals should not discriminate in access to resources such as blood preparations, because they provide vital assistance on a par with public institutions.

‍Vitaliy Bereznytskyi, director of the MC “Garvis”, shared the experience of the medical center since 1997 and noted that from the first days of the full-scale invasion, they actively help both civilians and the military, providing free assistance to servicemen. Mr. Bereznitsky spoke about investments in medical infrastructure, despite the proximity to the combat zone. He also noted that the current system of distribution of funds for NSU unfairly underestimates the tariffs for private hospitals, even if they provide better services, reducing the time patients stay in the hospital. The speaker expressed hope for fairer conditions for cooperation between the state and the private sector.

During the press conference, representatives of leading private medical institutions stressed the importance of cooperation between the state and the private sector, as well as the need to overcome discrimination in private medicine. Private institutions have faced a number of challenges, including low NSU tariffs, restrictions on access to resources, and opaque contracting rules. At the same time, their achievements demonstrate the important role of private medicine in providing quality services for Ukrainians. The participants called for a constructive dialogue with the authorities and the inclusion of the private sector in the strategic documents for the development of health.