Coping Mechanisms of Ukrainian Patients: Bribes, Gifts, Donations, and Connections

Bribes, gifts, donations and personal connections are part and parcel of the health care systems in many eastern european countries, including ukraine. These informal practices and payments can be often considered as byproducts of poor health care provision, including gaps in access to medical care and service quality. The chapter interprets them as coping strategies employed by ukrainian health care users and their families to ensure a satisfactory medical treatment; it illustrates the different modalities through which such self-help approach is implemented; it finally argues that a tradeoff exists between individual patients’ satisfaction and the sustainability of future health care reforms.