The new Minister of Health of Ukraine Maxym Stepanov announced his priorities during his acquaintance with his Ministry's staff, on March 31:

“There is a lot of work ahead. The first priority is the fight against coronavirus. I do not want to blame anyone, but there is a certain delay in terms of preparation for the pandemic. We can no longer afford to waste time. Therefore, it is crucial now to communicate with local healthcare providers. The second priority is medical reform. I believe that it is quite possible to make changes so that both patients and doctors of all levels are satisfied with the reform,” Maxym Stepanov emphasized.

Maksym Stepanov is the former Governor of the Odessa Region, who was dismissed by the previous President Poroschenko for political quarrel, during the electoral campaign for Ukrainian Presidency in 2019.  

A surgeon by education, in 1998 Stepanov graduated at Donetsk National Medical University and in 2004 in international economics at Kyiv National Economic University.

He substitutes the previous Minister Ilia Yemets, dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada after one month of her appointment.