11 hospitals in the Lviv region provide psychiatric care in inpatient settings, and 10 provide care at the patient’s place of residence.
Due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, the number of patients in need of psychiatric care may increase. According to WHO estimates, 10 million people, or approximately a quarter of Ukraine’s population, may suffer from war-related mental health disorders. Since the outbreak of full-scale war, mental health care has become one of the priorities of the Medical Guarantee Programme. We will tell you what kind of psychiatric care is provided at the specialised level.
The Medical Guarantee Programme has two packages of specialised psychiatric care:
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“Mental health care for adults and children in inpatient settings” – 11 institutions with a contract in the Lviv region;
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“Mental health care for adults and children provided by mobile multidisciplinary teams” – 10 institutions with a contract in the Lviv region.
“Ukrainians in need of psychiatric care don’t have to look for private psychiatrists and spend money on it right away: they can get help free of charge within the framework of the Primary Healthcare Group. To begin with, you can simply consult a family doctor, who will refer the patient further. Outpatient treatment and psychological support cannot help everyone now, so the PMG provides a package of inpatient psychiatric care. At the same time, mobile multidisciplinary teams under contract with the NHSU provide such care at the patient’s place of residence, mainly after discharge from the hospital. In total, 9919 patients received services under these two packages in Lviv region free of charge in 2024, which is the highest figure among all regions of Ukraine. 9462 patients received inpatient care, 571 patients – at home,” says Tetyana Kudyk, Director of the Western Interregional Department of the NHSU.
You do not need a referral to see a psychiatrist on an outpatient basis. You can visit a doctor at a polyclinic or hospital that has an agreement with the NHSU on the package “Prevention, diagnosis, observation and treatment in outpatient settings” and has a psychiatrist on staff;
Inpatient psychiatric care can be provided free of charge either by referral from a doctor or by self-referral; it is also possible to be delivered by an ambulance, police or transferred from another medical institution. The decision on hospitalisation is made by a psychiatrist after a psychiatric examination of the patient.
What free services are included in the package “Mental health care for adults and children in inpatient settings”?
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psychiatric examination to determine the need for hospitalisation and to develop an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan in cooperation with the patient;
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necessary laboratory tests;
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necessary instrumental examinations: ECG, ultrasound, X-ray, electroencephalography, etc;
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consultations with doctors of other specialities;
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the use of pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, methods of psychological influence, and rehabilitation assistance;
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timely pain relief at all stages of diagnosis and treatment;
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provision of medicines in accordance with the National List of Essential Medicines;
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round-the-clock psychiatric support and nursing care;
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development of a plan for treatment, support and rehabilitation after the completion of the inpatient stage of treatment together with patients and with their consent;
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Referral of patients for further psychiatric care on an outpatient basis and/or at the patient’s place of residence (by specialists and specialists of the mobile multidisciplinary team) and/or to a primary care facility for follow-up and treatment by family doctors;
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provision of meals in the hospital, etc;
Learn more about the scope of medical care here: https://bit.ly/40rJvix para 21.
Free services in the package “Mental health care for adults and children provided by mobile multidisciplinary teams”:
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Examination by members of a multidisciplinary team and provision of psychiatric and psychosocial care to people with mental and behavioural disorders;
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formulation of an individual treatment and rehabilitation plan – with the involvement of the patient or his/her legal representative;
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support patients in adherence to the treatment and rehabilitation plan, monitoring for side effects of medications and adjusting treatment if necessary
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providing emergency medical care to patients during visits in case of life-threatening conditions, as well as calling an emergency medical team if necessary;
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assessment of the somatic condition of patients and issuance of an electronic referral (if indicated) for the provision of specialised medical care
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Determining the need for palliative care for patients with mental and behavioural disorders and issuing the necessary electronic referral;
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identifying the needs of patients with mental and behavioural disorders for social services and promoting their social and labour socialisation, etc.
You can find the nearest mental health care facility that has a relevant agreement with the NHSU by calling the NHSU Contact Centre at 16-77. Or by using the dashboard “Healthcare providers by area: Psychological and psychiatric care” (select the oblast, community or settlement and type of care). You will see all medical institutions that have a contract with the NHSU.