During childbirth, on the operating table, or during a stroke, the quality of treatment depends on the doctors’ experience.
That is why in 2026 the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU) is introducing minimum requirements for the number of childbirths, surgeries, and cases of stroke and heart attack treatment in hospitals.
From now on, the NHSU will not conclude contracts under these packages with facilities that, over half a year, perform fewer than 300 surgical interventions, accept fewer than 100 childbirths, and treat fewer than 70 patients with strokes and 30 with heart attacks.
This decision will help optimize the network of healthcare facilities.
There is no sense in maintaining departments without sufficient practice, because the structure of the population has changed — we have different needs than we did 50 years ago — and resources should be concentrated in capable hospitals, where doctors actually provide care, and where a high volume of procedures increases safety and quality of treatment.
For patients, this means a clear and safe system.
Ukrainians will receive basic medical care closer to home, while childbirth, surgical operations, and stroke treatment will be provided in medical facilities with extensive experience and well-established processes.
The innovation will not affect remote hospitals where a single medical facility serves about 150,000 people. In such places, patients will continue to receive guaranteed care without the requirement of a minimum number of services.
Patients should not be afraid of these changes, because doctors who regularly deliver babies, perform surgeries, and treat complex cases can recognize complications faster and act more confidently in critical moments.
