Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Ready to Help Ukraine

New Pathway – Ukrainian News.

Ontario and Ukraine share big geography and thus similar challenges in delivering healthcare to the remote areas. This was the main theme of the meeting between the Hon. Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long Term Care, and Dr. Uliana Suprun, Ukraine’s Acting Minister of Health on Friday, November 10, in Toronto.

In Ontario, the needs of remote communities in quality healthcare are met, in particular, through the Ontario Telemedicine Network, one of the largest telemedicine networks in the world that uses Internet-based two-way videoconferencing, and Telehealth, a free telephone service that people can call to get health advice from a Registered Nurse.

After the bilateral meeting, Dr. Uliana Suprun said that 4 billion hryvnia is currently pledged in Ukraine to provide rural areas with Internet service and computers for telemedicine. At the same time, Ukraine needs technical assistance to put Internet- and telecom-based healthcare programmes and systems in place. The Hon. Dr. Eric Hoskins noted that, apart from advice and consultations on the development of such programmes, Ontario is open to providing Ukraine with medical equipment for telemedicine and telehealth programmes.

During the meeting, the two Ministers also discussed the issues of emergency medical services and long-term care, the areas where Ontario has a lot to offer to Ukraine in terms of knowledge and experience. Dr. Uliana Suprun said that she hopes that these areas will undergo deep reforms in Ukraine after the Parliament passed the Law on the reform of the health care financing system in September.

Dr. Uliana Suprun noted that the fact that Ukrainians have very close ties to Ontario will help introduce the Canadian healthcare system’s experience in Ukraine. She encouraged the members of the Ukrainian Canadian community when talking to Ukrainians in Ukraine to explain how the medical system works in Canada and “why it needs to work the same way in Ukraine.”

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