During the last year, non-governmental organizations, with the support of Vynohradiv District Council of Zakarpattya Oblast, have been actively working on the creation and organization of the district mobile consultative palliative care team consisting of an oncologist, family physician, nurses, volunteers, social workers and representatives of churches. The main reason for its creation – geographic peculiarities of the Oblast, where the majority of population lives in remote villages, from which it is difficult to reach hospitals. Besides, if somebody has a serious or incurable disease, families usually have to take care of ill person at their own place.
These problems concerning creation and maintenance of palliative care team were discussed at the regional meeting in district hospital of Vynohradiv. The meeting was attended by Shnitser, head of the Public Health Department of Zakarpattya Oblast State Administration; Bukovetsky, head of Public Health Department of Vynohradiv District State Administration; Liubimov, head of Vynohradiv District Council; Bratsiun, adviser to the Minister of Health on cooperation with religious organizations and development of palliative care; and representatives of donor and charitable organizations, religious communities.
It was stressed at the meeting that two palliative care centers for terminally ill patients already operate in Zakarpattya Oblast, based in Mukachevo and Vynohradiv district hospitals. However, Ukraine lacks experience of creating a visiting palliative care team, therefore this pilot project will require a lot of efforts from the Oblast Public Health Department and head physician of Vynohradiv district hospital.
The project implementation was made possible due to the additional funds provided by the International Renaissance Foundation in the framework of Initiative for palliative care development in Ukraine. Eventually, in a year after the beginning of the project (from 2012), local authorities are ready to take over the costs related to this service.
Public Health Department in Zakarpattya Oblast and International Renaissance Foundation will advocate and appeal to the Ministry of Health concerning the legal and organizational support of this innovative project.
Contact person: Kseniya Shapoval-Deyneha, coordinator of the “Palliative Care” component of the International Renaissance Foundation, shapoval@irf.kiev.ua
