November 11-12, 2010, a workshop on providing palliative and hospice care in Ukraine entitled “Opening of the Hospice in Ternopil: Opportunities and Prospects” was held in Ternopil.
Physicians, nurses, social workers, volunteers, priests and officials from all over Ukraine were invited to the workshop. They presented their experience and exchanged information concerning development of palliative care in different regions of the country.
The main issue for discussion concerned provision of pain relief drugs to palliative patients, in particular, elaborating and amending the order No 11 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine “On the rules of circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the health care organizations of Ukraine”; introduction of anesthesia protocols that meet the world standards and WHO recommendations.
Minister of Health of Ukraine Zinoviy Mytnyk noted that each city and village of Ukraine should have a possibility to receive qualified palliative assistance, which is why we should use any opportunity for exchanging experience, training medical staff and development of palliative care. Anatoliy Sakhno, head of the analytical department of the State Committee on Drug Control, stressed in his speech that the Committee is ready to reform and improve legislation on medical circulation of analgesics for palliative patients, because this issue is critical.
Vasyl Kniazevych, former Minister of Health in 2007-2010, chaired the workshop. The speakers included: Liudmyla Andriyishyn, chief doctor of the Ivano-Frankivsk Hospice, Lesya Bratsiun, adviser to the Minister of Health, Dzvenislava Chaikivsky, chief doctor of the Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytsky Hospital, Yevhen Moskviak, chief doctor of the first hospice in Ukraine in Lviv, representatives of the Greek Catholic Church and Kseniya Shapoval, representative of the International Renaissance Foundation.
During a meeting of stakeholders, held on November 12, participants discussed appointment of chief freelance specialist in palliative care, creation of national professional association of palliative care and appeal to the State Committee on Drug Control concerning improvement of the Order No 11 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine “On the rules of circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the health care organizations of Ukraine”.
Participants of the meeting decided to:
- create an organizing committee for the establishment of the Association of Palliative Care and hold general constituent assembly by December 20;
- appeal to the Minister of Health to appoint a chief freelance specialist in palliative care in the Ministry of Health of Ukraine;
- appeal to the State Committee on Drug Control to improve the Order No 11 of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine “On the rules of circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in the health care organizations of Ukraine” and provide recommendations and comments.
Contact person: Kseniya Shapoval-Deyneha, coordinator of the “Palliative Care” component of the International Renaissance Foundation, shapoval@irf.kiev.ua
