Журнал. World association for medical law. The COVID-19 pandemic. Volume 39 2

333 World Association for Medical Law Medicine and Law INSTITUTIONALAND LEGALASPECTS OF HEALTH CARE IN TIMES OF COVID-19: LEARNING FROM THE UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE Radmyla Yu. Hrevtsova* Abstract: The paper discusses the changes in theUkrainian institutional and legal landscape that have become critical with regard to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Ukraine has faced the pandemic during the reforms of its healthcare system and others. Some of the institutional changes, aimed at resolving the burning issues and fulfilling political commitments (such as liquidation of the notorious health system institution with a branched structure, still responsible for the epidemiological safety, financing infectious disease units for the actually provided services) have shown underperformance, particularly in light of healthcare emergency preparedness. Some other changes (including introduction of medical self-governance) require boosting. The coronavirus crisis should serve as an impulse to changing the attitudes of the state and society towards healthcare workers who currently have to reclaim their rights, especially the rights to safe working conditions and proper remuneration and ensuring due protection and respect. Special attention shall be paid to legal substantiation of the development of innovations. This primarily relates to the use of telemedicine tools which may be essential for ensuring access to healthcare, both in everyday life and emergencies. Keywords: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak; Health Care Reform; Institutional Changes; Rights of Healthcare Workers; Telemedicine * PhD in Law, Associate Professor, Advocate, Associate Professor of the Administrative Law Department and Director of the Education and Research Center forMedical Law of the Law Faculty of the Taras Shevtchenko National University of Kyiv, Governor of the WorldAssociation for Medical Law (Ukraine), email: radmila.hrevtsova@gmail.com Med Law (2020) 39:2:333-350