Healthcare spending will reportedly increase to 114bn hryvnia ($4.28bn) in 2018 and a further rise is expected to follow as it is a government priority. 

The country passed reforms last week to raise standards and eliminate corruption in hospitals and surgeries, Reuters reported. 

G7 ambassadors in Ukraine praised the move in a statement saying it was “a significant step forward and is designed to ensure better healthcare provisions for all Ukrainians, achieve efficient primary to tertiary health care, and eradicate corruption.” 

The new legislation will create a system that pays doctors accordingly to the number of patients they have. 

Hospitals will also be paid for services through the new system, rather than from regional administrations as it is now, government ministers told Reuters.

Ukrainians die earlier than most Europeans and patients often bribe doctors for treatment or medicine, according to the Reuters report. 

The country’s health minister Ulana Suprun said in an interview with Reuters: “People in Ukraine think that paying doctors cash, under the table, is somehow a ‘thank you’ for the services that are supposed to be provided to them at no cost.”

She also cited a survey by the country’s anti-corruption bureau which found 65% of Ukrainians had come across corruption in the last year, 68% of which was in healthcare.

The G7 ambassadors note said this was the first step, but there is “much work to do to ensure full implementation”.  

It added: “It will be important to ensure that sufficient funding is allocated to the healthcare sector and that the necessary support is provided to the Ministry of Health.”

Ukraine was given a €3m grant to improve public financial management in July.

Earlier this year IMF urged the government to go ahead with its reform efforts in order to unlock growth.