Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov says at least 5% of GDP should be allocated for the country's healthcare system "to awake it from a coma."
He made the comment during an online briefing, which was broadcast on Facebook on November 24, as reported by an UNIAN correspondent.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has made us look into the state of our health sector in which it's been for the last 29 years. We all are aware of what's at hand in our hospitals and what's required, and how much does it cost to treat a disease. Among other aspects of reform we're now implementing is quality control and standardization of healthcare, while funding remains one of the main factors," he said.
The minister noted that the country's healthcare system during the said period saw financing at 3-3.5% of GDP.
"It's not just figures, it's chronic underfunding. Conventionally speaking, a surgery worth UAH 10,000 [US$352] have always been financed at UAH 5,000 [US$176] at best. We were turning a blind eye to it, saying issues will somehow resolve... We see the results of this: from the equipment in our hospitals to our specialists. Every year, the number of doctors and nurses who just go [to work] abroad increases," he added.
Stepanov says Ukrainian healthcare workers' salaries are the lowest in the country, so the issue needs to be fixed.
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