The Government has made progress in reforming rural healthcare and now it is of predominant importance in synergy with local governments to shape a mechanism for interaction. This was stated by the Prime Minister of Ukraine during a meeting dedicated to the rural medicine reform.

"Doctors should have everything from equipment and place of living to a vehicle", the Prime Minister emphasized.

The meeting participants presented the main spheres of development of the industry - both in terms of the organization of the work of doctors, and in terms of providing the material part and medical instruments. A particular attention was devoted to the possibilities of transport provision.

The parties stressed that as a result of the reform, the number of outpatient clinics in the village which at present makes up more than 3800, will not decrease. In this case, some outpatient departments will be reconstructed, some re-profiled from outpatient clinics where only 1-2 doctors  receive patients, in a clinic with more specialized specialists. The necessity of such reshaping will be determined by the Ministry of Healthcare together with the local authorities. Provision of official vehicles, on the proposal of the Head of Government, will be held in a centralized way.

The Prime Minister also proposed to engage more actively local governments  in financing the needs of rural health facilities, especially in terms of construction and reconstruction. "If they (the regions) do not invest in it (rural health posts), thus it means that they do not need these institutions. If funds are invested, thus the responsibility for the functioning of out-patient clinics is higher ", he added.

Volodymyr Groysman aired a proposal to exempt water wells projects near the outpatient clinics from license fees and determine the drilling operations  as a  part of a construction or repair project. "Drilling will provide the outpatient clinic and the village with drinking water. This is a good idea", the Head of Government stressed.

Apart from that, Volodymyr Groysman commissioned to work out the possibility of sharing the co-financing of construction and reconstruction projects of outpatient clinics in view of providing doctors with housing.

On the instructions of the Prime Minister all discussed decisions will be shortly submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for consideration and further approval.