Rehabilitation and support for a child in the first years of life: what services can be received free of charge
Kyiv • UNN
Prematurely born and ill infants can receive rehabilitation free of charge under the Medical Guarantees Programme. Services are available until the age of three with a referral.
For children born prematurely, as well as children with congenital conditions, the state has provided the opportunity to receive free rehabilitation tailored to individual needs, UNN writes.
Rehabilitation for young patients is paid for by the state under the Medical Guarantees Programme. Rehabilitation care may be provided on an outpatient or inpatient basis and/or at the child’s place of residence. Services can be received regardless of the child’s place of registration or residence, the National Health Service of Ukraine explains.
According to the NHSU, in 2026, under the package "Medical rehabilitation of infants born prematurely and/or ill during the first three years of life," 13.39 thousand patients across Ukraine received medical care.
What the infant rehabilitation package provides for
Care begins with an initial examination and consultations with specialists from a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. According to the NHSU, a comprehensive functional assessment is carried out using international standardised scales, tests and questionnaires; the child’s development is assessed and, where necessary, screening is conducted to identify signs of autism spectrum disorders.
Based on the assessment results, an individual rehabilitation plan is developed, defining goals for the child and the family. The team subsequently regularly assesses progress and, in accordance with changes in the child’s functional status, adjusts the plan and determines the further rehabilitation pathway.
The package includes the necessary laboratory and instrumental examinations, in accordance with medical needs and sectoral standards. The child may also receive consultations with doctors of other specialties, depending on their condition and diagnosis; pain assessment and timely pain relief when indicated; as well as assessment of nutritional status and its correction in case of disorders.
Rehabilitation also includes support for parents
Services are provided by specialists from a multidisciplinary rehabilitation team. Depending on the child’s needs, the care team may include doctors of physical and rehabilitation medicine, paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, nurses and other specialists.
An important part of the care is working with the family. Parents are provided with information about the specifics of caring for the child, the child’s development, preventing possible complications and following the rehabilitation team’s recommendations. Psychological support for parents is also provided.
If necessary, specialists select and adjust assistive rehabilitation devices and teach the family how to use them in the child’s natural environment. If the child requires specialised medical care at another facility, the team arranges the appropriate referral.
How to receive care
The basis for receiving services under this package is a referral from a primary care doctor selected under a declaration, a referral from the attending physician, or a transfer from another healthcare facility.
Services under the package are free of charge for the patient, provided they are received at a facility that has the relevant contract with the NHSU.
For example, as UNN reported, such services are provided at the Kyiv Perinatal Centre. Since 2020, specialised early-intervention spaces have operated at this facility, where infants receive qualified care from the first days of life. Follow-up monitoring and medical rehabilitation for infants are also provided there. As the Kyiv Perinatal Centre told UNN, during the past year alone, 279 infants successfully completed individual rehabilitation programmes.