Eliminating medical fees

The Cabinet of Ministers canceled its own order #420 of April 14 on the introduction of paid services in state and municipal medical institutions. The government explains this by the insolvency of the population during the economic crisis. Meanwhile, on April 30, the effect of order #420 was suspended by President Viktor Yushchenko due to its inconsistency with the provisions of the Constitution.

Yesterday, the Cabinet of Ministers published order #1232, which canceled the effect of order #420 “On some measures to improve medical care for citizens” dated April 14. According to the document, state and municipal health care institutions were allowed to provide citizens with increased comfort beds and a health worker for personal care at their request on a paid basis. Medical institutions could also, for an appropriate fee, provide consultations, diagnostics, treatment and collection of biological material for clinical diagnostic studies outside the hospital. In addition, they were able to rent out premises and medical equipment to other licensed medical institutions during non-working hours.

Within a month, the Ministries of Health and Economy were to develop a methodology for calculating the cost of services. However, already on April 30, President Viktor Yushchenko, by his decree, stopped the effect of order #420. According to the head of state, the introduction of paid services, in particular, violates the provisions of Art. 49 of the Constitution, which guarantees citizens of Ukraine free medical care, as well as Art. 24, according to which the constitutional rights of citizens cannot be limited on any grounds, including property status. “The Cabinet of Ministers has actually made the receipt of vital medical care by citizens dependent on their financial capabilities,” Mr. Yushchenko noted.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers assures that Order #420 was canceled at the initiative of the government, and not in connection with the April presidential decree. “We analyzed the situation and decided to postpone the introduction of paid services due to current problems in the economy,” Cabinet Minister Pyotr Krupko told Kommersant. In his opinion, in conditions of limited solvency of the population, filling the budget with the help of such measures is inappropriate, and paid medical services in government institutions should be introduced together with a comprehensive reform of the healthcare system. “This reform (of the healthcare system—Kommersant) is also being postponed due to the crisis situation,” said Mr. Krupko.

The doctors themselves were not bothered by the abolition of paid services. “If a patient wants to pay, he can go to a private clinic, of which there are enough in the country. Public hospitals should provide free services, as written in the Constitution, and the population should have a choice of which doctor to go to,” the chief doctor of the National Children’s Hospital told Kommersant. Specialized hospital "Okhmatdet" Vladimir Povoroznyuk. He added that his institution was not affected by the April order of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The effect of order #420 was not felt at the Kyiv City Clinical Emergency Hospital either. “We have not introduced any paid services; we provide free medical care to everyone,” the head physician of the hospital, Alexander Tkachenko, told Kommersant.

Alexander Kommersant-Zvorsky, Yulia Kommersant-Ryabchun

The Cabinet of Ministers refused money