In Odesa region, medical institutions are being "cleansed" of ineffective managers. Comprehensive inspections of hospitals initiated by the head of the regional state administration, Oleh Kiper, resulted in the replacement of the heads of at least five regional medical centers: a children's hospital, an emergency room, an oncology center, a center for significant diseases, and a psychoneurological dispensary. The deputy head of the Odesa Regional State Administration, Oleksandr Kharlov, spoke about how this affected the sector on Channel 7 (Odesa), UNN reports.
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In particular, he described how the situation at the children's regional hospital, where Olga Udovychenko became the new head in January, has changed. According to him, thanks to the coordinated work, they managed to attract the help of international partners, namely a new ventilator for premature babies.
"These are unique devices for which we did not spend a single budget penny. These devices were provided by our friends from Bremen. The equipment helps babies born weighing up to 500 grams. By the way, during the opening of the unit, we witnessed that one child has already benefited from this necessary medical care. And today we are very pleased to state that the baby has been discharged from the unit. Her weight is already over 1.5 kg, and her life is not in danger. This is a practical result. Together we saved the child's life," he said.
In the near future, it is planned to solve the problem with food in the hospital, Kharlov continued. The tender has already been announced and several participants are taking part in it. "I really hope that the food issue will be resolved. Both for the patients and their parents and for the medical staff, because it is a guarantee of health," he said.
Among other things, the regional authorities have revived the project to build a new building of a modern European clinic at the hospital, Kharlov said. The project will be funded by foreign partners, and its cost is almost UAH 2 billion.
"It will be a large separate new children's regional hospital built on the territory of the existing one. If everything goes well, construction will start at the end of the year. It will take about three years," he added.
The situation at the Odesa Regional Oncology Center has also changed. After the high-profile scandal and the dismissal of unscrupulous managers, the new management managed to complete the development of design and estimate documentation for the installation of a linear accelerator.
Previously, this process was sabotaged, in part due to the interests of a private clinic that currently has a monopoly on such an accelerator.
Now they plan to install the same state accelerator.
"By May 1, we will meet the plan and be ready to accept this linear accelerator from the Ministry of Health," Kharlov comments, adding that the regional state administration intends to increase the number of these devices in medical institutions in the region.
The deputy head of the regional state administration also noted the rational use of budget funds by the new head of the oncology center. He said that she managed to double the amount of funds on the accounts of the medical institution from UAH 85 million to UAH 150 million. He also noted that the oncology clinic is now an institution capable of earning money on its own, improving its material and technical base, and providing a full range of medical services to the population without receiving a subvention from the regional budget.
Kharlov also spoke about improvements in the work of the Emergency Medical Center.
After the scandal with monopoly refueling of ambulances and the dismissal of the former head of the Center, five oil companies, including OKKO, WOG and others, began to refuel ambulances.
"This resulted in savings of over UAH 4 million in December 2023 and January 2024 alone, compared to last year. We have completely abandoned fuel coupons by almost 100%: ambulance drivers refuel their vehicles through an electronic cabinet," he added.
The new leadership of the regional state administration inherited an extremely difficult situation with the ambulance fleet, Kharlov admitted. Today, however, it is improving: Odesa Oblast has received five Class C ambulances from its partners in Vienna, and 49 sets of new winter tires from friends in Bremen.
"We have opened two new emergency medical aid stations in Odesa. These stations made it possible to provide full medical care to visitors to Arcadia and Lanzheron, in different locations. Not a single budget penny was spent on this," he said.
Kharlov said that in the near future he would review the salaries of emergency workers.
"At the end of February, the first funds from the NHSU will start to be transferred to the emergency accounts, and one of the first decisions will be to review the issue of remuneration of medical service employees," he added.
Despite the war, Odesa Oblast is rapidly developing its healthcare system. In February, the Danube Regional Hospital in Odesa Oblast opened an interventional radiology department after major repairs .
In January this year, Odesa region received unique burn beds and consumables funded by philanthropists to help those who suffered severe burns, often as a result of Russian attacks.
Earlier, Kiper reported that providing quality and affordable healthcare in Odesa region is one of the main areas of work of the Odesa Regional State Administration.
Kiper has replaced the heads of at least five regional medical centers, including the Emergency Center.
And last fall, the community and the regional administration managed to win back the cancer center's chemotherapy buildings, which the regional council transferred to private hands in 2022 for 49 years. The prosecutor's office opened criminal proceedings over this fact, and promises to punish the perpetrators. Currently, the cancer center's buildings have been returned to municipal ownership, and cancer patients continue to receive free treatment there.