Rehabilitation may be necessary after surgery, injury, long-term treatment, or illness. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the number of people requiring comprehensive rehabilitation has been steadily increasing.
Returning patients to a full, active life through rehabilitation is one of the important areas of the healthcare system. Anyone can receive free outpatient rehabilitation care, regardless of their place of residence and registration.
The medical guarantee program includes, in particular, the provision of free rehabilitation under the package “Rehabilitation assistance for adults and children in outpatient conditions.” Internally displaced persons can choose any of the 470 institutions in the country that have an agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine to provide this service.
To receive outpatient rehabilitation care, you need:
1. Have an electronic referral for rehabilitation – it is issued by a family doctor or attending physician (in particular, physical and rehabilitation medicine).
2. Apply for an electronic referral to a medical institution - the patient can independently choose a rehabilitation institution, department, unit and rehabilitation specialists, taking into account their specializations.
Internally displaced persons, as well as other citizens who need outpatient rehabilitation assistance, have the following free services available as part of the package:
– Initial, staged and final rehabilitation examination by a doctor of physical and rehabilitation medicine and specialists of the multidisciplinary rehabilitation team;
– Establishing a rehabilitation diagnosis and drawing up an individual therapy plan;
– Determining the rehabilitation prognosis based on the results of the rehabilitation examination to plan the further rehabilitation route;
– Consultation by doctors of other specialties;
– Providing assistance in neurorehabilitation, orthopedic, psychological, cardiorespiratory, comprehensive rehabilitation and other areas of rehabilitation, during post-acute and long-term rehabilitation periods in accordance with the individual rehabilitation plan;
– Psychological assistance;
– Selection, adjustment and training in the use of rehabilitation aids during the provision of rehabilitation care;
– Educating patients, family members or caregivers on the specifics of care;
– Preparation of certificates, formation of medical conclusions on temporary incapacity for work and referrals to a medical-social-expert commission and/or medical-consultative commission, etc.;
– Adherence to the principles of accessibility and inclusion when providing medical and/or rehabilitation care, including using telemedicine methods and tools.
You can familiarize yourself with the full range of rehabilitation services provided on an outpatient basis on the website of the National Health Service of Ukraine in the section Requirements of the PMG 2024/item 24 or via link.
How to find a facility that provides outpatient rehabilitation services
To undergo rehabilitation, you can choose any convenient institution that has an agreement with the National Health Service for the package “Rehabilitation assistance for adults and children in outpatient conditions”. You can find an institution:
– Call to the NSZU contact center 16-77, where they will tell you which medical institutions have an agreement with the National Health Service for outpatient rehabilitation of children and adults.
– On the website of the National Health Service, using the analytical panel/dashboard “Electronic map of places of provision of services under the medical guarantees program”. Select the region, settlement and “Group of services” in the filter field – “Rehabilitation assistance for adults and children in outpatient conditions”. The map will show the nearest institutions with contacts. You can go to the dashboard via link.
Where and how to complain about illegal actions
If, when applying to a rehabilitation facility, an internally displaced person is required to pay for services covered by the Medical Guarantees Program or to make a charitable contribution, this is a violation of the patient's rights and the terms of the contract between the National Health Service of Ukraine and the medical facility. In this case, you must file an application regarding the violation:
– by calling to the NSZU contact center at number 16-77;
– fill out an electronic form on the NSZU website: select the “For Citizens” section in the top menu, then “Feedback. Here you can leave your questions, comments, suggestions, statements and complaints.” Or go to via link.
For reference. The Medical Guarantees Program provides all Ukrainians with the same free list and access to medical services, regardless of their status as an internally displaced person. More information about the free medical services that can be obtained under the Medical Guarantees Program can be found in the electronic manual "Guide to the Medical Guarantees Program for Patients 2024". You can download the manual via link.