From 2 March 2026, Lviv’s municipal polyclinics have been operating under revised rules, and the first week has already produced tangible results. The findings are reported by city-adm.lviv.ua. Key changes include extended appointment hours, weekend working, a guaranteed GP consultation and basic examinations within 24 hours of presenting, as well as a dedicated city medical helpline on 1580.
According to medical associations, demand for specialist consultations has risen by 10%, whilst appointments with GPs are up by 20%. This was reported by Vasyl Trunkvalter, Director General of the Second Medical Association. He also stressed that the system is already functioning as a single network: receptionists have access to the schedules of other polyclinics and can immediately offer a patient an appointment at another municipal medical facility if no slots are available within the required timeframe.
Between 2 and 7 March, the medical helpline received 175 calls, of which 52 related directly to polyclinic operations or booking appointments with specialists. All enquiries were processed. Valentyna Bartoshyk, Director of the City Department of Humanitarian Policy, noted:
“The city’s goal is for medical services to be genuinely accessible when a person needs them” — Valentyna Bartoshyk.
At the First Medical Association, the number of calls to facilities rose by approximately 30%, whilst patient attendances increased by 15%. To manage the additional workload, three extra staff were taken on at the call centre, one more administrator was added to reception, and the medical team was reinforced with a general physician. At Polyclinic No. 2, 4,051 medical services were provided between 2 and 5 March, compared with 3,811 over the same period in 2025 — an increase of around 6–7%. At Polyclinic No. 5, the number of missed calls fell from 146 to 67, indicating an improvement in telephone communication even under conditions of increased demand.
The city council emphasises that the current changes represent only the first stage of a broader transformation. Following the merger with two territorial medical associations, the polyclinics are planned to be converted into clinical and diagnostic treatment centres. The Health Department, together with the heads of medical facilities, is also preparing a dedicated programme of financial support for healthcare workers operating under heightened workloads. In total, Lviv has 447 GPs, 27 general physicians, 24 paediatricians, and 625 specialist doctors.