The authorities need to get ready for aggravation of the epidemiological situation in connection with the spread the Delta strain in Ukraine.

This was stressed by representatives of the medical community, specialized government agencies and analysts during the press-conference held in the press-center of the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center. “We believe that the national authorities and local self-governments can coordinate their efforts in the fight against Covid-19 better and more independently.

Despite the fact that Covid-19 is currently off the current agenda, it is necessary not to procrastinate in the process of reallocation of budget funds for institutions to be sufficiently financed

said Hlib Kanievskyi, head of the expert StateWatch organization.

In April of 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine reallocated 6.5 billion hryvnas from the budget program “Implementation of the program of state insurance of medical assistance to the population” to vaccination of the population, though those funds were to ensure supplemental payments to medical personnel who directly treated Covid-19 patients.

Accordingly, there is a threat not only of the spread of a new and more dangerous coronavirus variant, but also lack of extra funds to pay for the work of medical personnel and stationary treatment of patients in the fall. During the event, experts were discussing possible ways to allocate additional funds to make supplemental payments to medical personnel both from the state and local budgets. 

We expect the number of patients to rise at the end of September. We predict that from 5 to 10 billion hryvnas will additionally be needed to fight against the pandemic in the last 3 months of 2021, providing these funds are allotted effectively

said Anna Fenchak, assistant director of the Department of Ordering Medical Services and Pharmaceutical Products at the National Health Care Service of Ukraine.

This analytical article has been written within the project ‘Civil control over budget expenditures to fight against COVID-19 in regions,’ which is being implemented with support of the Black Sea Fund of Regional Cooperation, German Marshall Fund (USA). Positions and opinions expressed or published/voiced in public do not necessarily coincide with the position of the Black Sea Fund of Regional Cooperation or its partners.