ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL CARE FOR INFECTIOUS PATIENTS IN UKRAINE: THE PRIMARY ISSUES OF THE CURRENT TIME

Aim. Analyze changes in the performance of specialized institutions providing medical care to infectious patients in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, compare them with the “pre-Covid” period (2015–2019) and suggest ways to improve the activities of the infectious service. Material and methods. The materials of the study were the official statistical data of the reports of the Center for Medical Statistics of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine "Medical personnel and the network of healthcare institutions of the system of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine" for 2015-2020. Results. The dynamics of providing medical care to infectious patients is analyzed. A decrease in the provision of the population with doctors and infectious beds against the background of a decrease in the incidence of certain infectious diseases was determined. The inefficient use of beds with an infectious profile was established. The main reasons for the problems of organizing an infectious disease service have been established, taking into account the experience of medical institutions in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusions. Possible ways of optimizing medical care for infectious patients are identified: improving the epidemiological monitoring of infectious morbidity and calculating the needs of medical support, taking into account regional characteristics, improving the training of family doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.