The Ukrainian Ministry of Health has published a statement on the department's website.
"Despite the risk of blackouts, all emergency medical care will be provided to patients in full. Emergency medical interventions (which are performed immediately or within a few hours, because the delay in surgery threatens a patient's life) and urgent surgeries (which can be performed within a day) will be performed in a timely manner,” the statement reads.
The Ministry of Health says that regional military administrations are recommended to consider suspending planned operations in view of the power supply situation.
"As part of adapting the health care system to the possible additional load associated with a possible blackout, planned surgeries (those that do not require immediate intervention, as there is no threat to the life or significant deterioration of a patient's health) and planned hospitalization are temporarily suspended. They will be resumed once the energy supply stabilizes and, accordingly, medical institutions are capable of providing the necessary medical assistance at the appropriate level to a larger number of patients," MoH said.
Meanwhile, as the ministry notes, a possible decrease in the number of patients will not affect payments to hospitals under the contract with the National Health Service. Payment is provided for 6 months of the next year according to the so-called global budget. A hospital will consistently receive part of the funds under the contract, regardless of how many patients have been treated in its facilities
MoH also adds that, due to blackout risks, it has already developed an action algorithm for medical institutions to prepare for and respond to a possible power, water and heat supply outages, including providing the necessary assistance to patients in emergency situations.