How to Get on the Electronic List for Free Joint Replacement Surgery
In Ukraine, joint replacement surgery can be fully paid for by the state under the Medical Guarantees Program. Digital tools have made the wait for such surgery more transparent and easier to monitor. Once a patient is placed on the electronic waiting list, the distribution of a joint bought with public funds is handled fairly and openly.
The first step is choosing a hospital from the official list published on the website of the Ministry of Health. Patients are free to pick any facility in the country, regardless of where they live. After that, they need to visit the selected hospital and file a request to join the electronic waiting list. The hospital will add the patient to the list once the application and the required paperwork have been completed.
Documents Required for the Electronic Waiting List
To register, patients must provide the following:
- a medical opinion using form 028/o;
- a passport or another identity document;
- a taxpayer identification code (RNOKPP);
- a document proving the right to have the operation performed as a priority, if applicable;
- current contact information and details of a contact person.
A hospital employee enters the data into the electronic waiting list and confirms the registration. After successful registration, the patient's status changes to "In queue."
The system also allows for registration to be refused. This can happen if the necessary documents are incomplete, if the patient is already in the electronic waiting list for the same type of joint, or if there are no medical grounds for the surgery. Planned and urgent operations are handled separately. For urgent procedures, such as a hip fracture, a doctor can register the surgery using the "Out of turn" function.
The electronic waiting list for no-cost joint replacement in Ukraine is designed to make medical care fair and transparent.
This initiative is a meaningful step toward better access to health services in Ukraine, particularly for people in need of arthroplasty. With this system, patients can trust that their rights are protected and that the path to necessary treatment is more organized and just. It also helps lower corruption risks and strengthens public confidence in the country's medical system. Transparent waiting lists are essential whenever limited medical resources have to be shared fairly.
As the implementation of the electronic waiting list gains momentum, it's worth noting that over 26,000 joint-replacement surgeries have been performed in Ukraine at no cost to patients. This substantial figure highlights the effectiveness of the Medical Guarantees Program in making essential surgeries accessible. For more details on this remarkable achievement and its impact on healthcare, you can read about the successful joint replacement initiatives in the country.