Valery Zaporozhan: Outflow of medical personnel is increasing, one third of positions in medical establishments are vacant

The outflow of medical personnel to Europe has increased in Ukraine in the last two years. According to some reports, about 70,000 specialists have left the country over the past two years. Academician Valerii Zaporozhan, the chairman of the Academic Council of Odessa National Medical University, informed about this in the article.
First of all, young, ambitious and most qualified specialists are leaving. Up to 30% of the staff on average are already lacking in hospitals. Many are leaving the profession in favor of higher-paying industries. “This is an expected situation, and it should have been foreseen first in the reform of the industry. But it did not happen. The equipment of our hospitals leaves much to be desired. For professionals it is a great misfortune to know and be able to treat, but not have what to do. In addition, it is important for the doctor to know that their work is valued and respected. This is not always the case.”Valerii Zaporozhan writes.
In his view, the so-called medical reform not has not only failed to offer a way out of this situation, but also exacerbated negative trends. After all, its main postulate is cost optimization. “Each year, the MOH returns millions of unused funds to the budget, for which it receives bonuses. Is it that saving the cost of people’s lives? This is not normal for a European country, ”Valerii Zaporozhan is convinced.
In his opinion, the priority should be not the economy but the health of the nation. Therefore, funding for the medical and healthcare sectors should be at least 5% of GDP. In addition, it is necessary to change the attitude towards doctors from the profile ministry, because now the heads of the department are more willing to hunt for witches than to take care of their support. “The multifaceted problem of medical personnel migration can be solved only at the state level. And the sooner the better. Otherwise, there may be a point of no return. And then it will be too late to look for the guilty ones,”Valerii Zaporozhan is convinced.