Ukraine faces shortage of medical doctors

Ukraine is facing a shortage of 47,000 medical workers, Health Minister Oleksandr Anischenko said Thursday. "Rural areas, as well as towns and cities have significant lack of doctors," Anischenko told reporters. He added that medical centers and hospitals in Kiev are looking for family doctors, pediatricians and internists. The minister believed that more people will work in medicine if they are provided decent wages. Therefore, the Health Ministry has promised to increase salaries next year by a third. The median monthly income of a practicing medical staff in Ukraine was 200 U.S. dollars in August. In addition, Anischenko said that the government is preparing large-scale health care reforms. A network of primary care centers will be created in coming years, then emergency care system and system for medical insurance will be established in 2015. Healthcare in Ukraine is funded almost entirely by general government revenues, but there are also private healthcare centers. Ukraine has about 189,000 doctors. Some are highly qualified while others have completed only half of the training required.