Public administration of inclusiveness in private healthcare institutions: steps towards equality and accessibility

The article analyses the state of public administration of inclusiveness in the healthcare sector. The author pays particular attention to the role of private healthcare institutions, that play an important role in the provision of healthcare services in Ukraine, in ensuring the accessibility and adequacy of healthcare services for all groups of the population, especially for people with limited mobility. The author points out that under martial law and military aggression, the burden on the healthcare system has increased and the problem of ensuring inclusiveness of medical services has become more acute due to the growing number of cases of limb loss and bodily injuries. It is noted that private healthcare facilities can become conduits for collecting data to identify gaps in ensuring equal access to quality and affordable healthcare services for different social groups and to develop appropriate mechanisms to close these gaps and ensure inclusiveness. The article analyses international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which lay the foundations for inclusiveness in healthcare. The author also examined the role of such public administration tools as state building codes and recommendations of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in creating barrier-free space for all categories of people with disabilities: those with impaired musculoskeletal system, vision, hearing, mental activity, etc. Among other aspects of the public administration of inclusiveness in healthcare, the author draws attention to the insufficient regulation of the issue of communication within the staff of healthcare facilities and between staff and patients; the formality of employment of persons with disabilities by businesses to meet the requirements of the legislation in respect of this category of persons. It is concluded that public administration of inclusiveness in healthcare institutions in Ukraine is not carried out gradually and planned, but in “turbo mode”, given the situation in the country. At the same time, private healthcare facilities are able to address key issues of inclusiveness in the healthcare sector more quickly: adapt workplaces, train staff in the necessary communication skills, and invest in refurbishing premises to bring them into compliance with state building codes to create barrier-free spaces. At the same time, there are certain risks: this requires significant financial costs, which, in the context of martial law, when most institutions are trying to stay in the healthcare market, makes any significant improvement in services hypothetical.