Health Minister Viktor Lyashko believes that the healthcare system currently faces three main challenges. These are human capital, the country’s economic development, and the need for all participants in the system to “tell the truth”.
The key priority today is human capital in healthcare. Without it, all others will be impractical, said the head of the Ministry of Health during the discussion Medical Reform: Change to Survive, organised as part of the New Country project.
“The world is talking about a global crisis in medical personnel. And it’s not just talking – it’s already feeling it. We are starting to talk to the health ministers of other countries about what will happen in 3–5 years, but the indicator is 2030,” the minister explained.
The personnel shortage was discussed, in particular, with the Norwegian Minister of Health during his visit to Ukraine. According to Lyashko, the Norwegians are considering the use of artificial intelligence where it is possible to replace medical workers.
“We think completely differently about personnel. We understand that we also have a crisis in personnel. It is based on the fact that we have a large number of people of retirement age working in the system. And we understand that we are moving quite quickly towards the European Union. As soon as we become full members of the European Union and the borders open in certain areas, we will see a massive outflow of nurses,” Lyashko said.
We need to understand now how to encourage people to enter the profession and think about how to fill not only existing vacancies, but also those that may become vacant due to staff outflow. The Ministry of Health has developed a strategy for the development of nursing in Ukraine, but further work is needed on incentives.
Lyashko named the country’s economic development as the second challenge, since a perfect healthcare system that responds to all challenges requires sufficient funding. The third challenge, which, according to the minister, can be overcome, is “teaching all participants in the system to tell the truth”.
“We all say that we are building a patient-oriented healthcare system. But when we start talking about it, everyone in the system either leaves something unsaid or does not always tell the truth, distorting certain things,” said the minister.