Corruption and staffing collapse at Kyiv perinatal center: Health Ministry demands director’s dismissal.

Kyiv Perinatal Center in crisis mode

According to TSN.ua: The Kyiv Perinatal Center, located at 9 Predslavynska Street, is mired in a deepening crisis marked by severe staffing shortages, alleged corruption schemes, and mounting accusations against its director, Dmytro Hovsieiev. Since the facility merged with Maternity Hospital No. 5 under Hovsieiev’s leadership, conditions have deteriorated sharply. This situation highlights broader governance failures within Ukraine’s healthcare system, where mismanagement and lack of transparency can undermine patient care.

According to available reports, over 25 nurses have left the center in the past year alone, signaling a critical shortage of medical personnel. Doctors and nurses have voiced serious concerns about working conditions and pay. While the average monthly salary for the center’s top management rose from 60,980 to 73,294 hryvnias, frontline medical staff say their wages have been cut in half.

Liliya Dobrovolska: 'By all European standards, there should be one nurse for every two patients.'

An additional issue involves a double-funding scheme uncovered at the center. Patients paid out-of-pocket for certain services, only to find that the state was simultaneously reimbursing the facility for the same procedures.

Serhiy Mytkalyk: 'Patients paid for the service with their own money, but it turns out the state was also paying the facility for that same service.'

Furthermore, maintenance contracts for medical equipment have been signed with delays of up to five months, hampering the quality of care. Olha Usova noted that 'under the guise of reorganization, we were absorbed or taken over by the 5th maternity hospital,' pointing to a lack of transparency in the center’s management.

The Ministry of Health has formally requested that the Kyiv City State Administration dismiss Dmytro Hovsieiev, underscoring the gravity of the situation. As medical workers face censorship and retaliation for speaking out, the future of the perinatal center remains uncertain.

Systemic healthcare challenges exposed

The turmoil at the Kyiv Perinatal Center sheds light on deep-rooted problems within Ukraine’s healthcare system, particularly around governance, funding, and working conditions for medical staff. Staff shortages and declining wages for healthcare workers risk compromising the quality of services delivered to patients. An investigation by the Ministry of Health may serve as a catalyst for the reforms needed to improve the facility’s operations and restore trust among patients and medical professionals alike.