Ukraine is experiencing a growing shortage of doctors and medical staff. What is happening?

At the same time, Lyashko emphasized that human capital is a distinct component of the medical reform strategy. After all, without people, there can be no medicine.

"I believe that no country in the world will say that we have enough doctors. Looking at the global picture, there is a general shortage of doctors... Due to the lack of personnel, the next stage of medical reform is not being halted even during wartime," — said Viktor Lyashko in an interview with BBC Ukraine.

He noted that the Ministry of Health has conducted hospital planning, categorizing hospitals based on their roles to rationally calculate workforce resources and material-technical bases.

According to Lyashko, there is a shortage of medical professionals in various specialties across all regions.

"We can talk about psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, where a considerable number of workers should be involved. When discussing injuries, particularly trauma and neurotrauma, we see a problem with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists," — the minister pointed out.

Another reason for the waning interest among youth in medical universities is that medical professionals are subject to military obligations and can be mobilized into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

One of the reasons for the declining interest among youth in medical universities is mobilization into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"The popularity of these professions has slightly decreased, particularly due to mobilization and military registration. The demand for these professions, considering the number of applicants, has fallen. This is a significant problem for Ukraine, as it is a non-renewable resource. Such specialists take a long time to train," — says Natalia Slin'ko.

It is noteworthy that in 2024, only 13,953 applicants submitted applications for the "Medicine" specialty, as indicated by research from the portal Education.ua. This is significantly less than the number of applications for specialties like "Psychology" (47,672) and "Philology" (43,198 applications).

Main Motivation for Specialists: What Experts in the Medical Field Say

The market is in dire need of individuals with relevant education and professional skills. Therefore, employers are forced to rethink their hiring approaches and requirements, say HR experts from the portal Work.ua. For instance, they may hire individuals with lower qualifications and invest in their training, as well as systematically raise salaries. Another way to replenish staff is to hire specialists who have already retired but are willing and able to return to work in their field.

The General Director of "Medikom Clinic," Margarita Malevanaia, adds that currently, salaries are crucial for attracting specialists.

"Salary has always been a significant motivating factor, but many factors influence the decision of doctors to continue working in the clinic, especially for those with higher qualifications. In contrast, nurses and junior medical staff focus on salary. In Kyiv, there is a shortage of them, so many travel from the suburbs, spending not only time but also money on transportation, literally saving every penny. As a manager, if I see that we are opening vacancies and cannot fill them for a long time, the only right approach is to quickly raise salaries, rather than gather managers and tell them we are waiting for the end of the war. The reality is that at this stage, the influence of money is greater than before when people held onto their jobs because they were accustomed to them, had good relationships with colleagues, and were generally satisfied," — says Margarita Malevanaia.

Nurses and junior medical staff focus on salary when searching for jobs. In Kyiv, there is a shortage of them, so many travel from the suburbs, spending not only time but money on transportation, literally saving every penny.

Regarding the incomes of specialists, in 2024, the average salary in the pharmaceutical field in Ukraine was reported to be 20,000 UAH, according to Work.ua.

However, it is important to note that the personnel shortage in the medical field is not just a Ukrainian problem; various countries in the EU are also experiencing a worsening staffing crisis. For example, in Hungary, where medical reform is also ongoing, according to the plan, by 2028, hospitals that serve fewer patients will be closed. The country's chief physician will decide where the central hospital for the respective districts or regions will be located. The relevant decree will be signed by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Hungary, as reported by RTL.hu.

It is noteworthy that many Ukrainian doctors, particularly from Transcarpathia, are working in Hungary. The main reason for the resignations of local specialists was relocation abroad. However, the situation with doctors' salaries in Ukraine has significantly improved.

As stated by the Chairperson of the National Health Service of Ukraine, Natalia Gusak, on average, the monthly income of a doctor in Ukraine is 23,000 UAH.

"For example, at the Kyiv Oncology Center, the average salary for a doctor is 66,000 UAH. This means that some specialists earn around 100,000 UAH, and all these funds come from the National Health Service. At the same time, the average earnings for doctors across the country is 23,000 UAH. This is more than in many social sectors, but still not enough. Another example is the Kosiv Center for Primary Medical and Social Assistance (Ivano-Frankivsk region), where the average salary for primary care doctors reaches 44,000 UAH," — told Natalia Gusak in an interview with "Ukrinform."

As for junior medical staff, the average salary for nurses in Ukraine currently stands at 15,300 UAH.

"This is insufficient; however, there are medical institutions where nurses earn over 30,000 UAH, such as in large regional hospitals, Lviv TMO, Mechnikov Hospital, and others," — added the head of the National Health Service of Ukraine.