The Ministry of Health of Ukraine responded to statements about a massive reduction in ambulance doctors in the Donetsk region

The ministry has stated that there are sufficient funds to pay medical staff’s salaries, reports Ukrainska Pravda, citing the ministry’s response.

The ministry confirmed that it had received a letter from staff at the local ambulance service regarding possible redundancies and is currently looking into the matter.

At present, the Donetsk Regional Centre for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine has all the necessary financial resources to ensure that staff are paid their full salaries and to cover other expenses related to the centre’s operations. The mechanism for the institution’s continued funding through the Medical Guarantees Programme is also clear, the Ministry of Health reported.

The ministry noted that, under the Medical Guarantees Programme for 2026, 13.1 billion hryvnias have been allocated for emergency medical care — this is more than 2 billion hryvnias more than last year. The basic capitation rate has also been increased to 375 hryvnias per patient. According to representatives of the Ministry of Health, this should strengthen the financial sustainability of emergency care centres and help to increase medical staff salaries. In addition, facilities in frontline areas are receiving additional support from the state.

At the same time, the National Health Service of Ukraine, in response to an enquiry from Socportal, stated that funding for the centre for the past and current years amounts to 12 UAH — 1 UAH per month, and noted that the calculation was made “on the basis of the provisions of paragraphs 6–7 of clause 32 of the Procedure”. This refers to the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution of 31 December 2025 No. 1808, under which there are balances in the accounts that “exceed the total amount of the average accrued salary and the accrued unified social contribution for the six months of 2025”. Consequently, the National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) suspends payments and does not transfer any new funds until the balances have been utilised. According to OpenDataBot data, the organisation’s net profit as at 2025 was negative, amounting to -287 million UAH. Assets totalling 534 million UAH are also reported, but this refers to the centre’s entire property.

What is happening with the ambulance station?

The Ministry of Health has reported that it has already held a meeting with the Donetsk Regional Military Administration and the management of the emergency medical centre. They are expected to provide a plan for further action, in particular:

• the rational use of funds from the Medical Guarantees Programme;

• respect for employees’ labour rights;

• ensuring the provision of medical care whilst taking the security situation into account.

It should be recalled that in mid-February, ambulance service staff stated that the station might be closed down and more than 40 medical staff would be made redundant. According to them, the redundancies were planned to take effect from 1 April 2026. Staff pointed out that the redundancies could make it more difficult for residents – the majority of whom are elderly – to access emergency medical care. Furthermore, many staff members have lost their homes due to the hostilities and need to work to afford rent. More than 40 medical staff have lodged complaints with the government, regulatory bodies, and law enforcement agencies, demanding that the legality of the redundancy decision be investigated. Meanwhile, the management of the regional centre stated that the decision was taken in response to service requirements and a decline in the population.