Business news from Ukraine

Demand for medical services for pregnancy management and routine medical examinations is growing in Ukraine, but there are many neglected cases, said Valery Zukin, chief operating officer of the Leleka multidisciplinary medical center.

“At the beginning of September, we can talk about a stable demand for childbirth, pregnancy management and other urgent and emergency health cases that cannot be planned or postponed in advance. At the same time, the demand for scheduled preventive examinations is growing. This is especially true for women – they are more likely to go to medical facilities for check-ups than men,” he told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the dynamics of demand for medical services in Ukraine.

Zukin also noted that “the number of ‘deferred’ medical care is growing – cases that do not require urgent resolution and can be returned to later, but should not be neglected at all.”

According to Zukin, in particular, there is an increase in surgical interventions for gynecological problems, hernias, gallbladder removal, removal of breast fibroadenomas, and various phlebology procedures and operations.

At the same time, Zukin emphasized that “since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukrainians have become less health conscious.”

“As a result, medical experts note an increase in advanced cases. Therefore, I would like to emphasize that it is important to understand that it is better not to postpone treatment of some diseases,” he said.

Zukin also noted an increase in demand for so-called “non-medical” and “aesthetic services”.

“In our clinic, even before the full-scale invasion, such services accounted for a rather small percentage of the overall structure of the medical center’s services, but now various festive services during discharge from the obstetric hospital (photo and video discharge, a gala buffet, etc.) are quite popular. Also, aesthetic gynecology services and massages for pregnant women, etc. have gained considerable popularity,” he said.

In addition, the expert pointed out “the problem that is now gaining momentum in Ukraine is the unsatisfactory state of childhood vaccination.”

“At a time when parents are massively willing to pay for their children’s vaccinations on their own, certain bureaucratic problems prevent suppliers from importing a sufficient amount of the relevant drugs from abroad,” he said.

As reported, the number of medical services provided to Ukrainians in 2023 under the PMG has increased both compared to last year and the pre-war period. As of June, the number of patients who received medical care under each of the 2021 PFG packages amounted to 3.06 million patients, 3.55 million in 2022, and 4.22 million in 2023.

At the same time, 101.101 thousand patients received medical care during childbirth in 2023, 109.403 thousand patients in 2022, and 141.144 thousand patients in 2021.

Leleka Multifunctional Medical Center is one of the leading Ukrainian clinics in the field of obstetrics, gynecology, and general surgery. The medical center practices medical protocols approved in Ukraine, the United States and Western Europe. The Leleka Center for Modern Surgery provides surgical gynecology, mammology, vascular surgery (phlebology), proctology and urology, endocrine surgery, plastic, abdominal, bariatric, outpatient surgery, and endoscopy.

In 2019, Leleka was the first in Ukraine to receive JCI accreditation, one of the world’s most prestigious quality standards for medical institutions. The standard is based on the American system of medical accreditation of medical institutions based on the management of patient outcomes.

The JCI International Division accredits hospitals in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America, and now in Ukraine. JCI annually updates its accreditation standards to expand its patient safety goals.