Odessa Endorses a Plan to Merge Two Children’s Clinics

In Odesa, a specialized committee endorsed a proposal to merge Children’s Clinics No. 5 and No. 7 with Primary Health Care Center No. 16. They will become separate divisions.

This was discussed at a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s Health Care Committee.

Council members reviewed a draft resolution to dissolve the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “City Children’s Clinic No. 5” and the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “City Children’s Clinic No. 7” by merging them into the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “Center for Primary Health Care No. 16” of the Odesa City Council. The resolution was passed unanimously.

This issue had already been brought up at a previous session along with other proposals, but it did not pass, said Olena Kolodenko, head of the Department of Health. According to her, the department and the city council believe that the facilities need to be merged so that they can provide continuous primary health care.

Earlier, a meeting was held under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Olena Yakimenko with the heads of both clinics. According to Committee Chair Oleksiy Yeremitsa, a compromise was reached at that meeting.

According to Kolodenko, both the fifth and seventh polyclinics will become separate structural units of Primary Health Care Center No. 16.

The only facility in the association with its own laboratory is Children’s Polyclinic No. 5. It will be preserved. As Kolodenko explained, this will prevent the city from spending funds to purchase these services from private laboratories.

Iryna Kutsenko, a city council member and commission member, emphasized that equipment purchased with National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) funds should not be taken away. According to her, this is money earned by the facility’s doctors. However, property purchased with funds from the city budget may be relocated, and such moves can cause tension if they are not discussed beforehand.

She also noted that the Center for Primary Health Care is a specialized facility for providing primary care, whereas pediatric clinics have a robust secondary care component. According to her, this could affect the licensing conditions on which the contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) depends. She also noted that the list of positions in adult and pediatric services differs.

She requested that the clinics be incorporated into the Center for Primary Health Care specifically as separate structural units, and that their terms be included in the charter.

Kolodenko assured that all comments and requests from the staff would be taken into account when drafting the new consolidated charter. She said this would be monitored.

She clarified that the deputies did not vote on the charter of the unified institution, but only on the decision to merge. Previously, the commission had already approved the revised versions of the charters for Polyclinics No. 5 and No. 7 and Primary Health Care Center No. 16, taking into account the need for early intervention, since the merger would not be completed by the new year.

Ірина Глухова