Strategic sessions devoted to the preparation of Ukraine’s healthcare system for European integration were held in Kyiv. About this informs press service of the Ministry of Health.
The event brought together representatives of the leadership of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service, the Center for Public Health, the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health, the State Service for Medicines and Drug Control, as well as the Government Office for the Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
The sessions were led by Jim Breslin, an EU systems transformation and leadership consultant with many years of experience in preparing the health sector for national reforms. He presented the vision of the European policy in the field of health care and the requirements for the candidate countries for joining the European Union. Jarno Habicht, head of the WHO Bureau in Ukraine, and Dean Kearns, head of WHO’s health programs in Ukraine, also joined the work.
During the sessions, political circumstances and the context in which integration will take place, as well as the formation of leadership and negotiation skills necessary to represent Ukrainian interests in the field of medicine at the European level, were discussed. The participants immersed themselves in the process of harmonizing the domestic healthcare system with EU norms, studied examples of successful reforms in Croatia, Estonia and Poland. Jim Breslin shared his practical experience of implementing European legislation in member states.
Particular attention was paid to the topics of mobility of medical personnel, availability of medicines, risk management and strengthening the sustainability of the health care system after joining the EU. During the discussions, the participants emphasized the challenges that may arise in this process and the possibilities of overcoming them through the use of strategic planning and project management tools.
“The leitmotif of the sessions was the thesis “Credibility is the currency of progress” – openness to challenges, consistency in actions and clear results build trust and open the door to the EU. Our foreign partners rightly emphasize: European integration in the field of health care is not only the implementation of EU acts, but also a change in approaches, the development of a culture of leadership and team cohesion. I believe it is necessary to remain predictable, open and decisive. This is the currency of progress on the way to the EU.” — said Maryna Slobodnichenko, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine for European Integration.
