Olena LALUDOVA, Director of the “LADA” Fertility Clinic: “The A7 Highway will open new opportunities for collaboration with medical institutions in Romania”

The “LADA” Fertility Clinic, led by Olena Laludova, is a significant player in Ukraine’s healthcare sector. With the construction of the A7 Highway, which will improve connectivity and accessibility, the clinic has the opportunity to benefit from increased cross-border collaboration in healthcare services and medical tourism between Ukraine and Romania

How do you see the impact of the A7 Highway construction on the healthcare sector and the “LADA” Fertility Clinic?

The construction of the A7 Highway will have a significant impact on the healthcare sector in the region, including on the “LADA” Fertility Clinic. Odesa has a unique geographical position, being an important hub for transportation, trade, and tourism in Ukraine. Currently, patients from Central and Northern Europe face challenges with access to Odesa, often needing several days to reach the city. Improved connectivity through the highway will facilitate fast and safe access from Romania and Moldova, significantly reducing travel time.

To our clinic, this will mean an increase in the number of international patients seeking fertility treatments and other specialized medical services. Moreover, given that our prices are much more competitive than those in Western Europe, patients from these countries will be able to access quality medical care at more affordable costs.

What opportunities do you foresee for the clinic in terms of cross-border healthcare collaboration with Romania?

The A7 Highway will open new possibilities for collaboration with medical institutions in Romania. Our specialists in reproductive health, gynecology, urology, and endocrinology can offer online consultations to Romanian doctors and patients. If necessary, patients can be referred to our clinic for examinations and treatments, and if surgeries are needed, they can be performed at the “LADA” clinic or at other medical centers in Odesa.

We are also open to sending teams of doctors to Romania to collaborate with local specialists and treat Romanian patients. In the context of the A7 highway, these collaborations will become more efficient, facilitating knowledge exchange and quick access to specialized medical services.

How will improved connectivity enhance access for patients from neighboring countries to your services?

The road connectivity provided by the A7 Highway will make Odesa more accessible to patients from Romania and Moldova. Currently, the journey from Romania to Odesa can take several days due to the lack of a direct route and international transport challenges. Once the highway is operational, patients will be able to reach Odesa much faster, enabling easier access to our fertility services.

If the highway reaches cities near Galați or Isaccea, travel time will be significantly reduced, improving patient experience. Faster and safer road connectivity is crucial for our fertility treatments, where quick response times and precisely scheduled procedures are essential.

What initiatives does the clinic have to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the A7 Highway in medical tourism and cross-border healthcare?

Before the war, our clinic explored the idea of opening a branch in Romania and collaborated with companies in the medical tourism field. These initiatives aimed to attract international patients to Odesa for specialized treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other reproductive procedures. With the construction of the A7 Highway, this type of collaboration becomes very relevant again.

Besides attracting patients for treatments in Odesa, we aim to collaborate with clinics in Romania and Moldova to provide combined medical services, such as performing hormonal stimulation at local clinics, with the final stages of treatment carried out at “LADA.” Additionally, we already collaborate with clinics in Chișinău, where patients can cryopreserve biomaterials for our clinic’s reproductive programs.

Have you had discussions with Romanian healthcare institutions or medical professionals to explore potential collaborations?

We have had preliminary discussions with some medical professionals in Romania, but the war has slowed the progress of these partnerships. We are still open to further collaboration with Romanian clinics, especially in reproductive health, where we have top expertise.

One of our goals is to collaborate with Romanian doctors to provide joint consultations and facilitate knowledge exchanges through masterclasses and training sessions. Our strategies will also focus on creating sustainable partnerships that include medical tourism as a key component.

What strategies does the clinic have to attract patients from Romania and other European countries?

Our strategies for attracting international patients are based on enhancing our online presence and collaborating with medical tourism agencies. Our clinic already enjoys international recognition due to excellent results in fertility and reproductive health. With the extension of the A7 Highway, we will intensify efforts to promote our services in Romania and other European countries.

Another pillar of our strategy is direct collaboration with local clinics in Romania to facilitate the initial stages of fertility treatments in Romania, with final treatments performed at our clinic in Odesa. This hybrid approach will reduce costs and ease access for patients to complex treatments.

How do you think the A7 Highway will contribute to the growth of medical tourism and the healthcare sector in the region?

The A7 Highway will contribute to the growth of medical tourism by facilitating international patients’ access to specialized medical services in Ukraine. Fields such as advanced medical diagnostics, reproductive surgery, gynecology, and urology will directly benefit from this infrastructure.

To our clinic, the reduced travel time and improved access will make our treatments much more attractive to patients from Romania and neighboring countries. In addition, patients will also be able to access other medical services such as rehabilitation and balneology, which are essential for post-operative recovery.

Which healthcare fields will benefit the most from this infrastructure project?

The fields that will benefit the most from the A7 Highway include reproductive health, minimally invasive surgery, advanced diagnostics, and rehabilitation. Our clinic, which offers highly specialized fertility treatments, will be able to attract more international patients, contributing to the development of medical tourism in the entire region.

Besides reproductive health, fields such as traumatology, balneology, and cosmetology will attract patients seeking quality treatments at more affordable costs.

Do you have any recommendations to maximize the positive impact of the A7 Highway on cross-border healthcare and medical tourism?

To maximize the positive impact of the A7 Highway, it is essential to simplify collaboration processes between Ukrainian and Romanian specialists. It would be helpful to develop clear protocols that allow our doctors to work temporarily in Romanian clinics without excessive bureaucracy. Additionally, ensuring that patients and doctors can cross the border with ease, without delays related to the transport of medicines or biological materials necessary for treatments, is important.

We would also recommend making translation services available for effective communication between specialists in both countries, facilitating cross-border medical and consultative collaboration.

How can the clinic collaborate more effectively with Romanian partners to encourage joint health initiatives?

The “LADA” clinic is open to closer collaboration with Romanian partners to create joint health initiatives. We believe that by organizing joint conferences, masterclasses, and training sessions for doctors, we can strengthen these partnerships. We can also collaborate with health associations and medical tourism organizations in Romania to develop integrated medical service packages, which will attract even more patients from Europe to Odesa.