There is a critical shortage of family doctors and anesthesiologists in the villages of Mykolaiv Oblast

The healthcare system in Mykolaiv Oblast is currently facing a massive staffing crisis that can no longer be ignored: nearly 500 medical positions remain vacant, and hospitals are operating under constant strain on those who are still holding on. The greatest shortages are in family doctors, anesthesiologists, internists, and pediatricians—the specialists without whom the primary and emergency care system simply cannot function properly.

The regional military administration reported that there are a total of 3,918 authorized medical positions in the region, but only 2,658 medical professionals are actually working, so staffing levels remain critically low and fall short of even the system’s basic needs.

The staffing shortage is most acute in primary care and in rural communities, where a single doctor sometimes has to handle several practice areas simultaneously. Among the most in-demand positions are 76 family physicians, 36 anesthesiologists, 35 internists, 23 pediatricians, 20 neurologists, and 17 surgeons. There is also a shortage of ophthalmologists, otolaryngologists, and rehabilitation medicine specialists—13 vacancies in each specialty.

The situation is particularly dire in district hospitals, where staffing levels sometimes fall below 40 percent. At the Vradiyiv Central District Hospital, this figure stands at 36.9%, at the Bratsk Central District Hospital—37.7%, in the Novo-Odesa Central District Hospital—about 40%, and a similar picture is observed in medical facilities in Ochakiv, Snigurivka, Berezneguvate, and Arbuzinka, where often not even half of the positions are filled.

The situation is also difficult in primary care centers: in the communities of Buzke, Bratske, Kobleve, Arbuzinka, Nova Odesa, and Kryve Ozero, staffing levels remain among the lowest in the region.

The Regional State Administration explains that the main reasons are the war, security risks, and low salaries, which is why young doctors often simply do not consider the region as a place to start their careers. “The reason young doctors refuse to come work in the Mykolaiv region is security concerns during martial law and the salary levels for doctors and nurses,” the administration noted.

Despite this, the region is attempting to partially address the shortage through interns: last year, 39 medical school graduates were assigned to the region, of whom 34 actually arrived, and this year hospitals have already submitted 220 vacancies for future interns.

Housing is another key area in the fight against the staffing shortage. Communities are purchasing apartments and houses for doctors, and in some districts, they are even setting up modular homes for displaced medical professionals. The government also offers a one-time payment of 200,000 hryvnias to those who, after completing their residency, agree to work for at least three years in rural areas or near combat zones.

Despite all these measures, the shortage of doctors in the region remains one of the most acute problems, and no quick solution is in sight. This is reported by “MykVisti.”

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