A member of the Mykolaiv Regional Council spoke out about problems caused by the Ministry of Health’s new rules
- Alina KvitkoReporter
New hospital admission rules were discussed in the Mykolaiv region. Photo: DC StudiIn the Mykolaiv region, patients were discharged the very next day after being admitted to the regional ophthalmological hospital due to new criteria introduced by the Ministry of Health.
This was stated by сouncillor Tetiana Demchenko during a meeting of the Mykolaiv Regional Council’s specialist committee on medical affairs, according to NikVesti.
According to Tetiana Demchenko, people approached her regarding the hospitalisation situation. She claims that patients were admitted to hospital on Monday, only to be told they were being discharged the very next day.
«You explain things so well; please forgive me. I’ve come up against some very basic issues. People approached me a month ago regarding hospitalisation at our regional ophthalmological hospital. The patients were indeed admitted on Monday, and on Tuesday they were told: «Goodbye». A new order has been issued,» she said.
This refers to Order №1014 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 30 July 2026, which sets out the criteria for the hospitalisation of patients for the provision of inpatient medical care.
Tetiana Demchenko believes that, due to the new rules, the problem affects more than just one hospital. She called on the regional authorities to look specifically into how patients from local communities will be able to receive inpatient care following the reorganisation of the healthcare network.
«The question is that in Yelanets and a number of former district centres — I see that this includes Arbuzynka, Bratske and Kazanka — there will be healthcare facilities that are neither cluster nor super-cluster facilities. They’re missing this, they’re missing that. And has anyone taken into account how long it takes a person to get to the nearest cluster or supra-cluster facility? I believe that, given there’s no road to Yelanets, we must force the authorities to do everything in their power to ensure there is a hospital there. It shouldn’t be the case that four pensioners get together — and the village council leadership couldn’t care less whether there’s a hospital there or not. Nobody’s going to get anywhere. And under the current conditions, as set out in this order from the Ministry of Health, there’s only one option left — simply to sit and wait for someone to be allocated something, rather than receiving the necessary hospital care,» said the councillor.
Iryna Tkachenko, head of the health department at the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, explained that the preparation of the new criteria had been known in advance, so they were taken into account when establishing a capable network of healthcare facilities in the region.
«Yes, indeed, on 30 July 2026, Ministry of Health Order №1014 was issued — setting out the criteria for the hospitalisation of patients for the provision of inpatient medical care. A great deal of work had been carried out by experts from the Ministry of Health in the run-up to this order. This order had been under discussion for a long time, and we already understood the direction the Ministry of Health was likely to take. We therefore took it into account whilst establishing a capable network. The process of hospitalising certain patients will depend on this order, and there will also be certain restrictions in specific areas,» said Iryna Tkachenko.
At the same time, Olena Masalitina, head of the infectious diseases department at the hospital in Pervomaisk and a member of the regional council, stated that the order itself does not prohibit the hospitalisation of patients who meet the relevant criteria.
«Anyone who meets the criteria for hospitalisation — there are clear criteria in place. And if doctors assess these criteria, hospitalisation is possible. The issue here concerns the length of stay in the facility,» explained Olena Masalatina.
According to her, doctors may take a patient’s social circumstances into account — for example, a lack of care at home or the inability to receive the necessary assistance promptly after discharge. However, such circumstances must be justified in the medical records.
Olena Masalatina also noted that the new rules will increase the workload on doctors due to the need to justify a patient’s stay in hospital in detail every day.
«Every day I’ll have to fill in a mountain of paperwork. I used to do this sparingly, but now I’ll have to do it every day. That’s the real problem,» said Olena Masalatina.
The councillor also drew attention to the issue of payment for inpatient treatment by the National Health Service of Ukraine. According to her, it is important for medical staff to understand how the new hospitalisation criteria and the length of a patient’s stay will affect the payment for medical services.
Separately, the doctor highlighted the problem faced by small hospitals, which do not have the necessary healthcare service packages and are forced to refer patients to larger facilities.
She gave the example of patients suffering a heart attack: if a hospital does not have the relevant package, medical staff provide first aid and must refer the patient as quickly as possible to a facility where they can receive the necessary treatment.
«They bring in a patient with a heart attack. I don’t have this acute coronary care package. What’s my job? I provide first aid quickly, call an ambulance, make the necessary arrangements — I have a route for how I’m to send the patient on. And, all in all, I don’t have time for any of it. I don’t admit the patient to hospital; I provide assistance — and we drive off to the destination as quickly as possible. Why? Because it’s their life,» explained the doctor.
Anton Tabunschyk, Chair of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, noted that the region must operate in accordance with current regulations. According to him, once the hospital network has been approved, hospitals will be able to increase their revenue from the provision of medical services.
«We are all currently operating within the framework of existing regulations, which we are obliged to comply with. I understand that the situation varies from region to region,» said Anton Tabunschyk.
Tetiana Demchenko insisted that the region must address the implications of the new rules separately, particularly for residents of remote communities. She proposed holding an off-site meeting of the committee in Yelanets so that councillors and representatives of the regional authorities could see for themselves how the local hospital operates and whether residents of the community are able to receive the necessary care.
The regional council noted that they plan to consider the issue of the new hospitalisation criteria in more detail at the next meeting of the relevant committee.
Earlier, NikVesti reported that the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration had stated there was a shortage of 480 doctors in medical facilities across the Mykolaiv region. The region is most in need of GPs, anaesthetists, general practitioners and paediatricians.
Two hundred places have been prepared for junior doctors to work in the Mykolaiv region. However, only 44 graduates have chosen the region due to various factors, including security concerns.
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