Medical institutions united in Odesa after a series of failed votes

In the Odesa City Council, the issue of merging medical institutions turned into a series of controversial votes, with decisions being voted down and then returned for consideration. Despite the chaotic process and heated discussions, the deputies eventually supported the key steps of the healthcare reform.

The relevant decision was made at the session of the Odesa City Council.

During the meeting, the deputies proceeded to consider the issue of merging medical institutions. From the first vote, it became clear that there was no unity among the deputies: two draft decisions failed, and two more were supported.

MP Volodymyr Korniienko urged his colleagues not to vote for the merger of individual institutions, which he had previously mentioned in his petition. Instead, the director of the Health Department insisted on the need to support the reform and urged MPs to get more involved.

The discussion was intensified by financial arguments. MP Vagapov noted that the Ministry of Finance does not provide separate funding for primary health care for children. In his turn, Ihor Koval warned that if the city refuses to amalgamate, it risks losing funds from the National Health Service of Ukraine.

Deputy Zvyagin suggested a compromise: first evaluate the results of the merger of those institutions that have already been supported, and only then make a decision on the rest. At the same time, MP Lozenko criticized her colleagues for their selective approach, noting that some institutions are supported while others are unreasonably criticized. According to her, there are no complaints about the reform in the Peresypskyi district.

Kornienko, in turn, emphasized that children's polyclinics in his district already receive funding from the NHSU. However, MP Iryna Kutsenko warned that in 2027, the service may verify agreements with family doctors, which will affect funding.

During the consideration of the next issue, Ihor Koval even asked to return MP Vadym Morokhovsky to the session hall, as there might not be enough votes. Nevertheless, one of the decisions was again defeated, prompting remarks from the floor about the lack of logic in the voting. The deputies did support the next merger.

The issue of merging the HIV/AIDS Center and the psychiatric dispensary into the infectious diseases hospital was discussed separately. Iryna Kutsenko emphasized that such a merger is possible only after repairs have been made at the expense of international partners. Despite the warnings, the decision was approved.

Subsequently, MP Yeremytsia initiated a return to the previously failed issues, arguing that additional MPs had arrived in the hall. The proposal was supported, and after a second vote, both decisions were approved.

In particular, the deputies supported the merger of Hospital No. 5 and the Consultative Medical Center No. 20 into City Clinical Hospital No. 10. Iryna Kutsenko opposed it, recalling that the idea of creating a separate unit for KMC #20 had been discussed earlier. However, the majority of deputies voted in favor of the merger.

Thus, despite disputes, mutual accusations, and several failed votes, the city council eventually supported key decisions on the reorganization of the medical network.

Earlier, members of the permanent deputy commission on healthcare supported the submission of issues on merging a number of medical institutions in the city as part of the healthcare reform. According to Olena Kolodenko, director of the health department, there are currently 32 medical institutions in the city, but there are disproportionate costs for management and ancillary services.

Анна Бальчінос