Kyiv, July 4 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The reform of the medical sector proposed by the Health Ministry of Ukraine is aimed at the interests of patients, not doctors and officials and that is why it is criticized by them.

Participants of the press service at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday presented the above-mentioned opinion.

"Healthcare should be financed and be functioning not for the needs of physicians, but for the needs of patients. Medics who think that reforms are conducted for them should understand this. The reforms are not conducted for physicians – the conditions and motivation for efficient work should be only created for them. The most active opponents are the medical elite, professors and head doctors. They do not need reforms. They need financing for beds, more financing and procurement," former health minister Mykola Polischuk said.

He said that a draft law drawn up in 2005 which foresees the possibility of signing agreements with healthcare institutions on the provision of medical services and the right of healthcare institutions to manage the funds received themselves has not been yet brought to the consideration of the Ukrainian parliament.

"I'm surprised why the draft law has not been put to the parliament for such a long period of time. Now, at the initiative of Health Minister Oleh Musiy, it was discussed and submitted to the cabinet. It's surprising why the cabinet is not submitting it to parliament," Polischuk said.

He also said that the profile parliamentary committee, which several times included in its agenda the resolutions on the dismissal of Musiy, is doing not what it is expected to do.

He said that those who bought vaccines in 2013 are to be responsible for a lack of vaccines.

"Musiy has been minister for four months, while the vaccines were bought in 2013. Let's punish those who bought them last year. There are many other problems with vaccines. For example, the price of the vaccines of Calmette and Guerin is UAH 1.56, while the price of hepatitis vaccine is UAH 72. Calculate 10% of kickback from UAH 1.56 and from UAH 72 and it becomes clear why there is a shortage of certain vaccines and there are enough supplies of other vaccines," the former minister said.

Director of "Public Council on Health Care" NGO association Mykola Tyschuk (Odesa) said that the proposed reform foresees the change of the doctor self-management system – the transfer of a part of powers to professionals from the ministry.

"We’ve been working for a long time on the draft law on doctor self-management to be passed. Since November [2013] it has failed to reach the Verkhovna Rada. It was not finally approved by the profile committee. We're surprised with the situation when lobbying of someone's personal interest is more important for lawmakers than adoption of laws," he said.

A member of the Board at UMA Oleh Peretiaka (Luhansk) said that the administration of the healthcare institutions is not interested in changing the financing system.

"Minister Musiy is a professional, he is trying to change the system and the team, but he has to overcome resistance… Musiy is conducting the appropriate policy," he said.