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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
In Ukraine, the network of institutions that train doctors may be reviewed, and the number of medical universities and faculties may be reduced. At the same time, the Ministry of Health asserts that it does not plan to cut the government order — it may be redistributed among stronger institutions.
This was stated by Health Minister Viktor Liashko in an interview with LB.ua.
According to the minister, in September the Ministry of Health plans a large meeting with the rectors of medical institutions and the heads of medical faculties. The main topic will be what the system of medical training should look like in the perspective of 2035–2040 years.
Liashko does not rule out that it may be appropriate in Ukraine to leave fewer medical universities, but to increase the number of budget places, faculty and opportunities for modern medical training. Separately, they plan to assess the work of medical faculties at traditional universities, which are currently numerous as well.
One of the future requirements for medical education institutions may be to have their own university hospital. In addition, the Ministry of Health previously announced a target of at least 5000 students in one university.
This concerns not only future doctors but the total number of students across all faculties of such an institution. The ministry believes that a large university has greater financial capacity to maintain infrastructure, attract faculty, and implement new technologies.
Liashko also stated that he expects concrete results from university leadership after expanding their financial and managerial autonomy. After discussions with rectors, the Ministry of Health may propose changes to the current rules governing medical educational institutions.
Currently, only a few medical universities in Ukraine have more than 5000 students. Such institutions operate, in particular, in Kyiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Ternopil.
In other medical higher education institutions, enrollment is primarily between 2500 and 4000 students. It is these smaller institutions that could potentially end up at the center of the future system review.
As of the beginning of 2026 year, Ukrainian institutions with medical specialties enrolled about 70 thousand students. Approximately 60% of them attended universities supervised by the Ministry of Health.
Overall, medical specialties are represented in about 82 higher education institutions. This network includes 15 medical higher education institutions of the MOH, 37 faculties and institutes within universities in the MOE system, and about 25 private institutions.
If the proposed model is implemented, the number of places for training under the state order does not necessarily have to be reduced. The MOH's idea is to concentrate more students, faculty, and resources in a smaller number of stronger universities.
There is not yet a final decision on the closure or merging of specific medical higher education institutions. We are talking about a model that the MOH plans to discuss with university leaders and with specialized parliamentary committees.
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