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The Committee takes due note of the Government’s report and the attached documentation. The Committee notes in particular the numerous legislative texts adopted from May 2002 to June 2003 in respect of public health care and medical services. It also notes the Government’s indication that the Ministry of Health is in the process of elaborating a revised version of Act No. 2802-XII of 19 November 1992 on the fundamentals of Ukrainian legislation on public health care. The Committee once again requests the Government to transmit a copy of the Public Health Care Act currently in force and would be pleased to receive a copy of the revised text as soon as it is adopted.

Articles 2, paragraph 2(a), and 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Ministry of Health has elaborated, in consultation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, draft educational standards for nurses and medical assistants which should now be approved by the Ministry of Education and Science. Recalling that the Government in an earlier report had indicated that work on these standards would have been completed by the end of 1999, the Committee hopes that the basic requirements regarding nursing education and training will soon be established and asks the Government to forward a copy of the relevant text once it is formally adopted.

In addition, the Committee notes with interest the adoption of a ten-year Programme for the Development of Nursing Personnel (2002-11) which sets forth the major steps to be taken for the development of nursing personnel and the continuing improvement of its employment and working conditions. The Committee requests the Government to communicate information in its next report on all progress achieved in attaining the objectives and respecting the timeframe set out in the action plan.

As regards education and training, the Committee notes the Government’s reference to various institutional developments, such as for instance the introduction of multistage training and a new model of nurse training corresponding to international standards, the establishment of medical colleges and a network of higher education nurse-training institutions, the setting up of a state evaluation system for the assessment of nursing specialists conducting licensing examinations, and the preparation of training materials and manuals. The Committee is, however, unable to examine or comment upon these developments in the absence of any concrete details concerning their scope and impact. It therefore requests the Government to supply full particulars on the recent measures aimed at reforming nurse training and upgrading the quality of nursing services.

Articles 2, paragraph 4, and 5, paragraph 1. The Committee notes that the Government refers to the establishment of the National Nurses’ Association and other public associations of nurses. In this connection, the Committee would be grateful if the Government could provide in its next report more detailed information on the membership, powers and activities of the new bodies. In addition, the Committee asks the Government to elaborate in its next report on the practical manner in which the participation of nursing personnel in the planning of nursing services is ensured and consultations are conducted for the purpose of integrating the specific policy on nursing profession into the broader health-care policy framework.

Article 7. Further to its previous comment on this point, the Committee once again requests the Government to specify the social protection and security measures which have been drawn up for nursing personnel and other health-care specialists under the Act on the prevention of HIV/AIDS disease and the social protection of the population, and to forward a copy of all relevant texts.

Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the statistical information concerning the number of nurses currently employed in public health-care establishments. It notes in particular that nursing personnel now total 470,000 persons as compared to 502,572 in 1999 and 600,000 in 1993. The Committee would be grateful if the Government could continue supplying information on the application of the Convention in practice, including for instance statistics on the number of students attending nursing schools and the number of nurses leaving the profession, copies of official reports or research studies examining the employment and working conditions of nursing personnel, as well as any practical difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention.