Ukrainian Digital Health: How To Be in the Resource and the Moment

The Case of Digital Health Solution Implementation on a National Scale

Viacheslav Bukhantsov
CEO Software Development Hub

By 2017, we had already built a strong reputation in the IT business, but only in a number of areas such as ERP and IoT. Nevertheless, our new project in the outsourcing format was medical in nature, and on a national level.

The reform of the healthcare system in Ukraine took quite a long time, but when it started on September 20, 2017, it began to develop rapidly. Thinking back to those days, I can say that everyone learned, including: the eHealth team, the developers of MIS (medical information systems), and the hospitals.

What began as an ambitious project has evolved into a critical infrastructure that has withstood a global pandemic and an ongoing war. As we look back from 2025, the journey of digital transformation in Ukraine’s healthcare system offers valuable insights into resilience, innovation, and the power of technology to sustain essential services during unprecedented challenges.

Flying Start

Our project began in May 2017 with the first introduction to the executive, choosing a sales strategy, and implementing a future product. Why did we choose this strategy? We chose this because we had to decide whether we were going to sell a boxed product or a cloud solution. How will the price be set? Could we flexibly expand functionality? What is the cost of releasing updates? Will there be difficulties in training? And, of course, what is the total cost of ownership?
These were just a few of the questions we asked the owners of the future product. 

When we draw parallels with medicine, since we were part of this domain, we assembled a panel of experts consisting of architects, business analysts, and leading developers. We were tasked with implementing and bringing to market the MVP of the future MIS platform, in just three months. Three months - what a serious challenge! 
With this panel of experts, we decided to build a platform based on SaaS architecture, using a monolithic approach in the design based on WEB solutions. In non-technical, we decided to develop a "site in the cloud". Our intent was that the end user would open the site, log in, and work with the system.

Criticism Multiplied By Expertise

Any solution has its pros and cons. The obvious pros were: the speed of development, the ease of implementation, and the simplified technical support. With these pros came the cons: this monolithic architecture (much later we partially converted it to microservices), the dependence of the end user on the quality of the Internet, and the complexity of preventive maintenance.
In a short period of time, the system we had developed turned into a Big Data that accumulated hundreds of gigabytes of information per month. We offered the customer to visualize the data in live dashboards, primarily by disease, to track epidemiological leaps. This was all three years before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Words Instead of Numbers, and Numbers Instead of Words

We work in an environment of aggressive development and strategic responsibility, on a national scale. We release 17-20 releases a year, with new functionality. A 15-minute server downtime can result in 10,000 worried patients not being able to make an appointment with a doctor.

As for 2021 the audience is 29,000 medical users, and the system is among Ukraine’s top 3, in terms of functionality. Notably, at the start of the reform there were only 8 providers, and now there are 45 different systems. This audience makes it possible to rely on a huge pool of requests, which are laid down in the functionality development strategy, naturally within the framework of eHealth specifications. 

System Evolution 2020-2025

Since our initial implementation, the Ukrainian eHealth system has undergone remarkable evolution. What began as a platform serving 29,000 medical users in 2020 has expanded to serve over 40 million citizens by 2025. The system now processes more than 500,000 patient interactions daily, a tenfold increase from our early days.

The digital health implementation journey taught us valuable lessons about scalability and resilience. By 2022, we had fully transitioned from our initial monolithic architecture to a microservices approach, allowing for greater flexibility and reduced downtime. This architectural shift proved crucial during crisis periods when rapid adaptation became necessary.

“The Ukrainian healthcare system has demonstrated remarkable resilience through digital transformation,” notes Dr. Olena Kravchenko, Deputy Minister of Health. “What began as a reform initiative has become a lifeline during our most challenging times.”

Key system improvements include:

• Integration with over 3,000 healthcare facilities nationwide

• Processing of 1.2 billion medical records annually

• 99.97% system uptime despite infrastructure challenges

• Support for 65 different medical specialties

• Interoperability with international health systems

Pandemic Response and Adaptation

The COVID-19 pandemic became an unexpected test for our system. The epidemiological tracking dashboards we had implemented in 2017 suddenly became critical infrastructure. By early 2020, we rapidly expanded these capabilities to include:

• Real-time COVID-19 case tracking and visualization

• Vaccine management and distribution monitoring

• Hospital bed and equipment availability tracking

• Automated contact tracing integration

The impact of digital health in Ukraine during the pandemic was profound. Our system facilitated the administration of over 25 million vaccine doses, with digital certificates automatically generated and integrated with the EU Digital COVID Certificate system.

We implemented a modern cold chain monitoring system that tracked vaccine storage conditions in real-time across 1,500+ locations, ensuring vaccine integrity and building public confidence. This infrastructure continues to support routine immunization programs in 2025.

Future Outlook

The future of digital health in Ukraine looks promising despite ongoing challenges. Our strategic priorities for the coming years include:

1. Further strengthening cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive health data

2. Expanding AI capabilities for predictive healthcare and resource allocation

3. Deepening integration with EU health systems for cross-border care

4. Developing specialized digital tools for post-traumatic care and rehabilitation

5. Creating a national digital health innovation hub to capitalize on local expertise

As we look toward 2030, we envision a fully integrated, resilient digital health ecosystem that not only serves Ukraine’s needs but also contributes valuable innovations to global healthcare.

“What began as a necessity has become a source of national pride and expertise,” reflects Health Minister Dmytro Kuleba. “Ukrainian digital health solutions, born from crisis, are now helping healthcare systems worldwide prepare for their own unexpected challenges.”
Currently, the project continues to actively develop. Competition in the ISP market requires us to be at the forefront of development, and the team's ability to flexibly adapt to new market demands allows the product to remain one of the leaders in the set and quality of functionality. To be continued! 

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