“Regional” health care reform: in Transcarpathia, 12 hospitals have been closed, 90 doctors have been fired

Transcarpathian Regional Economic Reform Committee reported on reforms in the health care. Despite the promises, the "improvement" has a reverse effect: over the past two years 12 district hospitals have been closed in the region, number of nurses and bedspace have been reduced.

Thus, for the period of 2010-2011, 11 district hospitals out of 23 were reorganized into the general practice ambulant clinics. Last year in Transcarpathia two district hospitals were closed – in the village of Onokivtsi in Uzhgorod district and in the village of Horinchovo in Khust district. Also, the Committee on Economic Reforms boast that "the bedspace of Velyki Luchky and Rakoshyno local hospitals in Mukachevo district has been reduced from 51 beds to 35 beds."

Only for the last year, the bedspace in hospitals of the region was reduced by 264 beds.  
Also the downsizing of medical personnel in the region continues. In 2012, 89 physicians were left without jobs.Thanks to the "reorganization" of healthcare, the authorities report that they have managed to save more than two million hryvnias.