Government approves decision to support young doctors in rural areas, de-occupied and frontline territories

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has decided to provide one-time targeted financial assistance to internship graduates who complete their medical training in 2025 and choose to work in state-owned or municipally owned medical facilities in rural areas, de-occupied or frontline territories.

It is a payment of UAH 200,000 that doctors will have the opportunity to receive if they sign a three-year contract with the relevant medical institution. The medical position for which the graduate is employed must be published on the Unified Web Portal of Vacancies in Healthcare Institutions, and the staffing of medical positions in the medical institution itself should not exceed 75%.

"Alongside security and defence, investment in human capital is a cross-cutting policy of the Government and the state. We approve the resolution on the introduction of a one-time payment of UAH 200,000 for medical graduates who are employed in medical institutions in rural areas or in the territory of active hostilities. This is an effective support for young professionals and a way to overcome the shortage of medical staff locally," said Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal at a Government meeting.

The decision will be valid for the period of martial law. After it is terminated or canceled, the Ministry of Health will analyze the staffing situation in state and municipal medical institutions to update the mechanism of support for young doctors.

"Our goal is to make medical care available everywhere: in a big city, in a village, in the de-occupied or frontline areas. This requires not only modern medical facilities but also people who work in them. In order to support young doctors and encourage them to stay where they are needed, the Government is introducing a number of incentives: a one-time payment of UAH 200,000 for young professionals starting their careers, provision of housing for them, and increased payment coefficients for medical institutions operating in rural and frontline areas. We want every doctor to have the conditions to develop in the profession, and every patient to have the opportunity to receive help on time and close to their homes," said Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.

It is expected that this initiative will help attract medical personnel to the regions that need them the most, help solve social issues and create comfortable working conditions for specialists in their new jobs.