Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has passed at second reading bill No. 7117 increasing accessibility and quality of healthcare services in rural areas submitted by the Ukrainian president.

An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that 280 lawmakers backed the document that was earlier approved by the parliamentary committee for healthcare at a plenary session on Tuesday.

Head of the parliamentary committee for healthcare Olha Bohomolets said that if the money that are allocated to execute the provisions of the bill are not stolen, soon we would see the improvement of healthcare services in rural areas.

Earlier it was reported that the bill was passed at first reading on October 19, 2017.

Amendments in Ukraine's national budget for 2017 provide for UAH 4 billion for activities aimed at developing medicine in rural areas. The draft budget for 2018 envisages UAH 1 billion more.

Deputy Head of the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction in the Verkhovna Rada, MP Serhiy Berezenko said that Bill No. 7117 foresees the construction of about 4,000 modern outpatient clinics.

The involvement of qualified medical personnel as a priority for reforming the health care system provides for the provision of medical care employees with free housing and transport, as well as the creation of opportunities for education and professional development.

The bill suggests that the development of the telecommunications infrastructure is also of priority, including providing rural healthcare institutions with broadband Internet access and software for the functioning of the electronic healthcare system and introduction of telemedicine, previously announced by the president.