The municipality began its cooperation with U-LEAD back in 2016. First, it focused on administrative services: with the U-LEAD’s support, the municipality set up one of the first modern Administrative Service Centres in Poltava Oblast. Later, the partnership expanded to include healthcare.
“U-LEAD helped us build a roadmap for the healthcare development. Since our municipality is small and resources are scarce, we wanted everything at once, including an inpatient facility and modern equipment. However, expert support helped us realise that the first thing we needed to do was ensure high-quality diagnostics. This laid the groundwork for further steps,” recalls Ivan Leshchenko, the Head of Bilotserkivka Village Council.
Through cooperation with U-LEAD, the municipality gained knowledge and skills on how to find and effectively use additional sources of funding, master project management and prepare project applications. These skills enabled Bilotserkivka to attract grant funds for the healthcare development on their own.
The first achievement was a portable ultrasound sensor, which the municipality purchased with a mini-grant, applying the knowledge they had acquired. With this equipment, doctors can conduct basic examinations directly on site, even in remote villages.
“This little sensor is handy to carry around. Simply connect it to a tablet or smartphone and select the app, and you can immediately examine the patient. Ultrasound is not required at the primary care level, but it is important for us to respond quickly to people’s needs and provide quality diagnostics without unnecessary trips to neighbouring communities,” explains Maryna Yaremko, the Director of Primary Healthcare Centre in Bilotserkivka municipality.
Another major breakthrough was the acquisition of a modern haematology analyser. In the past, residents had to travel to a neighbouring community to have a blood test, for example. Now the results are available free of charge and within a few hours in a local outpatient clinic.
“We used to pay a contractor for each test and spent tens of thousands of hryvnias a year. Now these funds remain in the municipality, and people see that Bilotserkivka offers the same opportunities as in our neighbours. This is a huge step forward,” shares Maryna Yaremko, the Director of the Primary Healthcare Centre.
In addition, a mini-grant enabled the municipality to purchase a thermo-massage bed for rehabilitation purposes. Both elderly people and war veterans, for whom high-quality rehabilitation services are crucial, find it useful.
Today, the municipality is working to modernise the outpatient clinic in the village of Rokyta, expand the range of diagnostic services and provide doctors with mobile transport for trips to the most remote villages.
“Our municipality has 29 settlements, covering a fairly large area, with a small population, and some residents find it difficult to reach the outpatient clinic in Bilotserkivka. That is why it is important to be able to come directly to people and provide them with medical services,” says Ivan Leshchenko.
“U-LEAD is always there for municipalities — both in terms of training and in the day-to-day steps from application to project implementation. Our greatest source of pride is seeing how our joint efforts translate into tangible results for people,” summarises Iryna Balybina, the Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in Poltava Oblast.
Bilotserkivka municipality sets an example: even small rural areas can create modern conditions for healthcare. The key is to identify priorities, work consistently and engage partners.
