Espicom's in-depth medical device market reports are ideal for executives wanting to understand the key drivers in medical markets and have access to a wealth of statistical data. Each report opens with an outlook section that provides analysis of the market, 5-year market forecasts, national data projections, market outlook and key developments such as regulation, health facilities and government policy. The report also provides extensive background information, population trends, health status, health expenditure, organisation & administration, hospital services, medical personnel, healthcare development, market access information, trade data and essential industry contacts. Included with the report are 3 free quarterly updated outlook reports, enabling you to keep up to date with market developments for a year. Ukraine is the second-largest republic of the former Soviet Union. With a population of almost 50 million, it is also one of the larger countries in Europe as a whole. For this reason, Ukraine represents a potentially major and lucrative medical equipment market.

In practice, this is not the case. The country, along with most of the rest of the former USSR, has adjusted poorly to the market conditions which followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Economic reform has been slow, held back by bureaucracy and communist-era attitudes. Where reforms have taken place, they have tended to be accompanied by widespread corruption. Ukraine currently has more in common with Russia and Belarus than with the more developed economies of central Europe and the reinstatement of pro-Russia Viktor Yanukovych as Prime Minister in March 2006, may slow the reform process; he is against full EU membership and is currently involved in an ongoing power struggle with the President.

The healthcare system has not been a major reform priority, remaining inefficient and chronically underfunded. Ukraine lags behind even Russia, in that it has not yet been able to implement a national health insurance system, although discussions are underway. There is a small private healthcare sector, largely consisting of specialist clinics. Hospital care is very much in the public sector and most hospital equipment is obsolete. Ukraine has a strong medical research sector, but in terms of quality, few manufacturers have the capacity to compete with the West.

Just under 70% of the medical device market is supplied by imports. The USA and Germany the leading suppliers in 2005, accounting for almost 40% of imports. Although domestic producers struggle to compete with Western manufacturers in terms of product quality, exports to the EU-15 are gradually increasing.