Organization of Palliative Care for the Population of the Republic of Crimea

Introduction: Increased life expectancy and related population ageing, growing rates of cancer and chronic diseases have led to a greater demand for palliative care and its adequate organization. Objective: To analyze organization of palliative care for the population of the Republic of Crimea. Materials and methods: The materials of the study included laws and regulations of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea, analytical reports of the Chief Specialist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Crimea, and statistics collected by the Federal State and Crimean Statistics Services (Rosstat and Сrymstat) for 2020–2022. The data were analyzed using standard methods of variation statistics in Statistica 10 for Windows. Dynamic indicators, including absolute growth, growth and increment rates, were calculated and evaluated. Results: A palliative care service has been established and is functioning in the Republic of Crimea; its activities are regulated by regional legal and regulatory acts. The work of relevant offices and six visiting nursing teams has been launched at 11 health facilities of the Crimea. Disease-specific inpatient palliative care is provided by 17 facilities. The staffing of regional outpatient and inpatient palliative care facilities is 80 % and 78.8 %, respectively. Conclusions: The regulatory framework has been established in the Republic of Crimea and harmonized with the federal one. The regional model for palliative care organization has been created, is functioning and constantly improved. To increase its availability, regional palliative care facilities should overcome the staffing shortage in the first place.