Since the beginning of 2024, 27,768 patients have undergone examinations for the early diagnosis of tumors free of charge.
These include mammography, gastroscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, and colonoscopy. These tests are a priority in the Medical Guarantee Program. Their cost is paid by the National Health Service to a medical institution that has a corresponding contract. In total, since the beginning of the year, the NHSU has paid more than UAH 231 million to institutions for the examinations.
“Early detection of the disease plays a significant role in the successful treatment of oncology. In particular, this applies to breast cancer, which ranks first among women’s cancers in Ukraine. However, global practice shows that it can be successfully treated if detected at early stages. That is why the priority packages of the Medical Guarantee Program include mammography, which is recommended for patients over 40 years of age to undergo regularly. Since the beginning of the year, more than 17 thousand patients have received this service in Lviv region, which is the highest rate among all packages for early cancer diagnosis. Almost 7 thousand patients have undergone fibrogastroscopy, almost 3 thousand – colonoscopy, more than 500 – bronchoscopy, almost 400 – cystoscopy, and more than 200 people – hysteroscopy,” says Tetiana Kudyk, Director of the Western Interregional Department of the NHSU.
How to get a free examination?
To undergo a free examination, you need to get an electronic referral from your family doctor or attending physician. The doctor must refer the patient for examination if there is a risk of tumors:
mammography, colonoscopy – age 40 and older
cystoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, hysteroscopy, bronchoscopy – over 50 years of age.
Within the packages, the patient is guaranteed free of charge
a doctor’s consultation before the examination to identify contraindications or other important aspects
analysis of previous examinations (if any);
the actual examination (mammography, colonoscopy, bronchoscopy, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy or esophagogastroduodenoscopy);
biopsy (if necessary);
local or general anesthesia during hysteroscopy, bronchoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy and cystoscopy, as well as consultation with an anesthesiologist before anesthesia;
providing conclusions on the results of endoscopic examinations;
providing a description of histological and cytological studies (in case of biopsy);
description of the results of the radiologist’s examination;
Providing the results of the examination on film and/or recording on a digital medium (optional).
The full list of services can be found on the NHSU website in the section “Requirements of the Health Insurance Program 2024” (paragraphs 1-3, 5-6, 11).
You can undergo the examination free of charge in both municipal and private medical institutions that have entered into an agreement with the NHSU for the relevant service. Thus, 17 medical institutions in the Lviv region have signed contracts for the Mammography package, 43 for the Colonoscopy package, 17 for the Bronchoscopy package, 26 for the Hysteroscopy package, 48 for the Esophagogastroduodenoscopy package, and 29 for the Cystoscopy package.
Please note that patients who do not meet the age criteria but have a doctor’s referral can receive the service free of charge under the Prevention, Diagnosis, Monitoring and Treatment on an Outpatient Basis package.
You can find the addresses and phone numbers of institutions with contracts with the NHSU on the dashboard “Concluded contracts for medical care under the medical guarantees program”: https://cutt.ly/0eqITwGf. Go to the map of medical care providers and type the required package name in the “Service Group” filter. Alternatively, call the NHSU contact center at 16-77, and the operator will tell you the contacts of the nearest institution.
You can learn more about free medical services in the electronic guide “Guide to the Medical Guarantee Program for Patients 2024”. You can download the guide here: https://cutt.ly/Nw5buw0b.