Influence of the war on the organization of medical assistance for oncological diseases

Abstract

The article discusses current issues of providing oncology medical care at the present time. Current legislation has been studied and modern approaches to the structure and features of the organization of providing medical care for malignant neoplasms during the war in Ukraine have been analyzed. Introduction. The war as a result of the Russian attack made it difficult for patients to access necessary medical services and medicines. The most problematic in the organization of cancer control in the regions are the timely detection of patients, adequate staging of the malignant process, registration of deaths, as well as the system of dispensary observation of cancer patients, without the establishment of which it is impossible to achieve success in increasing the survival rate of cancer patients. High levels of neglect of visual malignant neoplasms in many regions indicate that dental, gynecological and other services of the general hospital network of these regions do not take an active part in solving the problem of timely cancer diagnosis [1, 2, 4]. During the war, the Medical Guarantee Program continues to operate, and cancer patients can receive government-provided treatment free of charge. Guarantees cover medical care at every stage of treatment: diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiological treatment, support in outpatient or inpatient settings, surgery, rehabilitation, palliative care. A patient can receive medical assistance free of charge upon a doctor’s referral [2, 11]. An analysis of the onco-epidemiological situation in Ukraine in recent years revealed a significant decrease in the number of both patients and deaths from cancer compared to previous years. The quantitative characteristics of morbidity were obviously affected by the epidemic of COVID-19 and the war in the country, which changed the organization of the diagnostic process and the patient’s ability to get to a specialized oncology care facility [4]. The purpose of the work is to study the organization of medical care for oncological diseases during the period of martial law. Research materials and methods. An analysis of the legal framework was carried out. The following methods were used: content analysis, systematic approach and analysis.