The government wants to attract physicians to the villages Internet, free housing and transportation. The villagers don’t have to travel far to the city to consult a specialized doctor. Tests and send them to check the pulse will be on the Internet. And medical unit, feldsher-midwife stations and health centres equipped with computers, modern medical equipment and the Internet. So in Ukraine plan to make rural medicine more accessible. What awaits medicine in the villages, understood the site “Today”.
Computers and the Internet – what are clinics
A third of Ukrainians lives in the villages. However, only 17% of rural health posts (FAP) and clinics have their own transport. Even worse with medical equipment and medicines. According to the draft law “On improving the availability and quality of health care in rural areas” more of the villagers would be covered by Medicaid. To do this, medical institutions will be repaired and provide modern equipment and build roads to the hospitals. All of this plan to allocate RS 5 billion in two years. Doctors will attract to work in villages with free housing, transport, Internet and bonuses. These physicians provided by the local authorities. The government will pay for repair and expansion of health facilities, purchase medical equipment and computers.
The doctor in the village will entice them with free housing, a car and the Internet. Photo: newizv.ru
Main bet of the reform is to computerization and the Internet. As a result, all rural health posts will have to the computers and electronic health system. Patient cards will be in electronic form. Besides, the Internet is important for the doctor to come into contact with colleagues and self learning, says the head of “School of health”, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Tetyana Urecco.
“Doctors are ready to go to the village on the condition that they will have housing, transportation and access to the Internet. It’s not just telemedicine, but the fact that the doctor developed – he needs to be aware of developments in medicine,” – said the expert.
The patients will be examined remotely
To pass tests or get an x-ray will be in the village. The bill says that medical facilities will provide mini-laboratories, portable diagnostic devices and x-ray machines. The primary medicine will also provide the dental equipment. Diagnosis the patient will be put through telemedicine. This means that the family doctor will be able to send electronically the results of the tests a specialized doctor. He will diagnose and tell you how to be treated. The villagers will also be able to get advice by phone or video conference.
Counseling patients will remotely. Photo: polit74.ru
Medical care via telemedicine is a consultation, diagnosis and treatment through electronic devices, messages or video calls. For measuring physiological parameters of body sensors are used. Patient data is transmitted further through a program of specialized doctor that can be located in another city. For example, a paramedic can do an electrocardiogram of the patient and send to a cardiologist, and he writes his opinion. This method of advice in the world is no longer a novelty. But in Ukraine, the telemedicine consultation is not developed.
“This bill laid down a good idea. Coating the Internet is not only the issue of coverage of telemedicine services, but the relationship of the physician with the world. And it’s about the attention to endangered villages, where health workers do not go, and if you have already retired. But the draft does not stipulate the mechanisms of embodiment – it raises many questions”, – says the expert medical team of the Reanimation package of reforms Zoryana Chernenko.
As far as the bill is real
The idea of the bill is correct and needs to develop, agree Tatiana Urecco. But now his rules sound utopian, says the medic. Reform needs money. In this year’s budget of 4 billion hryvnia in the development of health care in the village. An additional 1 billion hryvnia, the government promised to allocate in 2018. However, the money needed to cover all the villages and provide them with computers and equipment. In the villages must establish centers for primary health care. The draft law stipulates that local councils should provide doctors with housing, company car and decent salary.
“The bill is not correlated with decentralization. On a community with a population of 6,000 people, with the training of health workers, provision of housing and transport. Some communities may not have such funds,” notes Zoryana Chernenko.
FAPs will be part of primary medical care. Photo: tver24.com
Creation in all communities and villages centres of primary care will be costly. Now according to the law in the village can be either FAP or primary medical care. The bill says that there should be only centers, which can include FAPs.
In the center of primary medical care in addition to health professionals should be an accountant, Director, driver. All this requires a lot of money that could go to salaries and drugs, said Zoryana Chernenko.
Besides, on the bill clinics will provide dental equipment. However physicians primary care – family doctor, pediatrician, therapist, nurse, medical assistant – will not be able to treat and teeth. “It is not clear from the bill that we are developing: primary care, or that I want” – asks the expert.
“Housing, transport and Internet services to retain doctors in the village is not enough. To doctors went and stayed in the village should be social infrastructure. Then the medic will be able to plan your life in the village: to have a family, children. These include kindergartens, schools, houses of culture. In the reform of medicine in the village should be involved not only the Ministry, but Minregionbud, Ministry of Finance and local authorities.
“When you talk about the implementation of the bill need to look at it more pragmatically. How realistic is that today, after a year or two. Now, it is unreal. If the budget will provide targeted funding – the result will be”, – adds Tatiana Urecco.
