Improving access to eye care in the Polish-Ukrainian cross-border region

The joint challenge for Partners of the project is to improve access to medical care and to increase the quality level of medical services in transnational areas. The Programme area is mostly poorly inhabited - average inhabitation density is 80 persons per km 2. In both countries decrease of number of inhabitants has been noted. Demographic prognosis tend to show further decrease trends for the majority of regions participating in the Programme. The ageing society also means more ill persons requiring medical care. Unfortunately, differences among sub-regions of the area covered by the Programme are clearly visible as far as an access to medical care is concerned. These problems co-relate also with the lack of staff. The access to diagnostics, emergency care and preventive procedures is of a crucial importance to people’s health on both sides of the border, hence it should be supported. In addition, COVID- 19 pandemic turned out to be a serious threat to the effectiveness of health care, however, much greater challenge for Ukrainian system of medical care are the results of war. In order to solve these problems, it is necessary to further maintain and develop transnational cooperation between medical services of both countries. The project is of a crucial importance for the improvement of an access to high quality medical care and supporting the patients in the Partners’ areas. Hence, this will help in solving of the identified issues in both facilities on both sides of the border It is strictly connected with priority 2: HEALTH of the Programme Interreg NEXT Poland-Ukraine 2021- 2027: Providing an equal access to medical care and supporting the resistance of medical care, including the basic medical care, and supporting the transfer from institutional care to home and community care. The project is an answer to identified shortages and includes activities leading to the increase of number of the conducted ophthalmic operations. As a result, it will translate into increased access and quality of providing medical care in Debica and Ternopil. Main target of the project is to create durable cross-border cooperation between medical units in Poland and Ukraine, for the purpose of increasing the access to high-quality medical services in the region. The main products of the project will be as follows: 1.Operating theatre equipped with modern medical devices. 2.Ophthalmic Unit in Ternopil provided with modern equipment for eye microsurgery 3.Conferences, meetings and trainings for medical staff. The project will have a significant transnational impact on both sides of the border, including the project Partners, target groups and the area included in the Programme. 1.Benefits for the Partners One of the targets of joint performance of the project is the exchange of experiences in the scope of eye microsurgery and joint development of qualifications of medical teams working in Ophthalmic Units in Medical Care Centres in Debica and in Municipal Non-commercial Enterprise "Ternopil Regional Clinical Hospital". Cooperation between medical facilities from Poland and Ukraine will create stable partnership network which may lead to future projects and transnational initiatives helping to support innovations and the quality of medical care in the area. 2. Benefits for target groups An access to medical services will be improved. Patients from both sides of the border, including the elderly, will be able to benefit from the effects of the project performance - new operating theatre and special equipment. The hospital will significantly shorten waiting time for surgery for patients. Benefits will be felt on both sides of the border. Joint cooperation allows for maximum usage of resources and abilities of both countries which translates into more efficiency in achieving the project’s goals. Thanks to the project actions, the quality and availability of medical services will be significantly improved.