Domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers have proposed creating a coordination group under the president of Ukraine with the participation of central executive authorities, industry associations and drug manufacturers to quickly resolve the issues of providing medicines during the spread of coronavirus infection.
Pharmaceutical companies that are members of the Manufacturers of Medications of Ukraine Association said this at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
According to association president Petro Bahriy, the working group, in particular, could quickly resolve the problems associated with the increased demand for certain groups of drugs, a shortage of a number of active pharmaceutical ingredients, interruptions in the logistics of medicines, as well as the issues of patent law.
“Today, the enterprises involved in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients have been stopped, there are problems with the supply of substances, packaging materials, problems with the logistics of medicines, so today it would be very good to form a headquarters and plan our work in the government and the president’s office in such a way as to help domestic manufacturers cope with these challenges and provide the population of Ukraine with medicines,” he said.
The chairperson of the board of PJSC Indar, Liubov Vyshnevska, in turn, noted that the pharmaceutical companies faced a number of problems, including quotas for alcohol without excise taxes.
“Quotas, not even during the epidemic, but in ordinary life, are the Stone Age. Pharmaceutical manufacturers with production licenses should get enough alcohol,” she said.
Some 669 cases of acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus were confirmed in Ukraine as of 10:00 on Wednesday, April 1, with 17 patients died and 10 recovered. “According to the results of studies of the virological reference laboratory of the Public Health Centre of Ukraine and regional laboratory centers, a total of 669 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. In total, 17 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in Ukraine. A total of 10 people have recovered – a repeated laboratory study did not reveal the virus in the body,” the Center for Public Health reported on Facebook on Wednesday morning.
A clearly defined procedure for the mandatory hospitalization of citizens who are diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) or are suspected of carrying the virus will prevent possible abuse that may be caused by a restriction of patients’ rights, lawyers interviewed by Interfax-Ukraine have said.
“A clear fixed procedure for involuntary hospitalization, responsibility for violation of the rights of sick people will prevent the abuse that may occur during involuntary hospitalization,” Managing Partner of the Revealing Information Law Firm Oleksandr Keer said.
According to him, the procedure for hospitalization of patients by ambulance teams in medical institutions, approved by order of the Health Ministry No. 370 dated June 1, 2009, provides for the patient’s mandatory consent to hospitalization. At the same time, the law on ensuring sanitary and epidemic well-being of the population establishes that persons with especially dangerous infectious diseases, in case of refusal to be hospitalized, are subject to compulsory inpatient treatment, and carriers of the causative agents of such diseases and persons who have contact with such patients are obliged to be under medical supervision and quarantine in the prescribed manner.
Keyer emphasized that COVID-19 was included in the list of such diseases by order of the Health Ministry dated February 25, 2020.
Meanwhile, the law on the protection of the population from infectious diseases (adopted in 2000) provides that the central executive body, which ensures the formation of state policy in the field of health (Health Ministry), establishes the procedure for hospitalization, treatment and medical monitoring of patients with infectious diseases, contacts and bacterium carriers, as well as the conditions for their stay in relevant healthcare and scientific institutions.
“At present, there is no normative legal act that would determine the procedure for hospitalization, treatment, medical supervision of patients with infectious diseases, except for patients with tuberculosis,” the lawyer said.
Obligatory medical examination and hospitalization of patients with COVID-19 can be carried out on the basis of a corresponding statement of a representative of a medical institution by court decision. However, according to Keyer, the procedure for considering this category of cases will need to be provided for in Ukraine’s Civil Procedure Code to ensure rights, freedoms and interests of sick people.
Ukrainian business continues providing its support in fighting the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic, sending money to crisis response teams or buying artificial lungs ventilators, other equipment and protective equipment for medical workers.
In particular, the RDS group of companies, involved in the construction and operation of roads belonged to Yuriy Shumakher and Yevhen Konovalov, bought the Oricare V8600 artificial lung ventilation machine (the United States) for the city of Odesa, and also provides financial assistance to local authorities for the purchase of protective equipment (masks, disinfectants) in the seven regions where it operates.
Makar Paseniuk and Kostiantyn Stetsenko’s ICU investment group purchased COVID-19 tests and intensive care equipment for Kyiv designated hospitals. In particular, for the Oleksandrivska City Clinical Hospital, which receives the main flow of patients with possible COVID-19 disease, the ICU acquired 200 additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The investment group provided the city hospital No. 4, one of the three designated hospitals in Kyiv, with almost 5,000 units of intensive care supplies: virus-bacterial filters, breathing circuits, endotracheal tubes, oxygen masks and drainage bags, and the Kyiv perinatal center received three all-in-one intensive care monitors.
The Regional Gas Company (RGC) of Dmytro Firtash purchased medical equipment, components for it, protective equipment, as well as materials and medicines for the amount of UAH 10 million and plans to send another tranche of assistance. In particular, RGC was able to purchase an artificial lung ventilator and monitors for existing ventilators, 2,000 express tests, 30,000 masks and FFP2respirators, 5,000 special glasses, about 5,000 gowns and special overalls and about 3,000 biosecurity kits, as well as disinfection solutions, medicines and fuel for ambulances.
The P&O Maritime Ukraine towing company transferred UAH 6.8 million to the Odesa crisis response team, and TIS-Grain sent UAH 3 million.
Ukrainian business is backing medical workers in the conditions of quarantine imposed over the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic, and is actively buying lungs artificial ventilation machines and other required equipment.
In particular, IMC Agroholding CEO Alex Lissitsa told Interfax-Ukraine that he plans to send about UAH 20 million to the fight against COVID-19.
According to him, part of the funds has already gone to the purchase of a laboratory for the diagnosis of COVID-19 for Chernihiv region. In addition, according to Lissitsa, the IMC intends to purchase 20,000 tests for 11 district hospitals in Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy regions and 100,000 masks.
Agroprodservice of businessman Ivan Chaikivsky plans to send UAH 3 million to the budgets of district hospitals, where the company processes the land (Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Kherson regions).
The Milk Alliance Group allocated UAH 100,000 for the purchase of necessary medical supplies and personal protective equipment and disinfectants to medical institutions in the areas where the group has enterprises: Zolotonosha district multidisciplinary hospital, Yahotyn central district hospital and Yahotyn primary health care center. Also, disinfectants, chlorine and washing solutions were provided to medical institutions.
Using the contribution of Board Chairman of Alef Corporation Vadym Yermolaev, Kiddo Charitable Foundation bought a Savina 300 artificial lungs ventilation machine, as well as respirators of protection class FFP2, FFP3 for the medical staff of Dnipropetrovsk region, thanks to which the number of masks in the region’s hospitals has quadrupled, but still remains insufficient.
The Darnitsa pharmaceutical company allocated funds for the purchase of three artificial lungs ventilation machines for Ukrainian hospitals as part of the initiative of the Zagoriy Foundation and the Ukrainian Philanthropic Marketplace to raise funds for the purchase of 50 artificial lungs ventilation machines.
Using the funds of businessman Pavlo Fuks, two digital X-ray diagnostic complexes OPERA RT 20 with a total value of UAH 13.4 million will be installed in City Hospital No.17 and Kharkiv City Clinical Multidisciplinary Hospital No.25 within 5-7 days.
OKKO will finance 20,000 trips for medical workers through the Uber service, 20,000 trips through Uklon and 10,000 through Bolt.
Restaurant chains Tarantino Family, Mafia, MisterCat, PapaFeta and This is Pivbar organized the delivery of home cooked food for Kyiv doctors. These restaurant chains work with the Oleksandrivska Hospital, the Institute of Neurosurgery named after Romodanov, Children’s Hospital No. 2, Children’s Hospital located at 23, Dehtiarivska Street, and Hospital No. 4 at 17, Solomianska Street. The plans of cooperation of restaurateurs are to increase delivery to 2,000-3,000 hot lunches daily. For these purposes, a separate transport, separate kitchens and separate couriers are provided.
The mobile communications operator lifecell provided healthcare workers with free 20 GB and 1,500 minutes of calls in Ukraine for the period until April 30, 2020.
The Kyivstar mobile operator provided free access to the Doctor Online application with the ability to consult a doctor via chat, audio or video call (previously the cost of the consultation in the application was UAH 50).
The Shafa marketplace launched a charity marathon #rozvantazhuyus in order to support health workers. Marketplace will direct all its profits from the sale of things of the marathon participants from March 24 to March 27 to the urgent needs of hospitals. The funds will be transferred to the Tvoya Opora charitable foundation.
The charitable foundation Lifelover, Garik Korogodsky and Tina Mikhailovskaya, provided 2,000 grocery sets for elderly people. Separately, the Department of Social Policy of the Kyiv City Administration in conjunction with the Lifelover foundation will provide 390 children with disabilities, living only with their mothers, with essential kits.
The NOVUS trading network has provided 10,000 essential kits.
Arzinger Law Firm created the Anti-Crisis HelpDesk, highlighting a team of specialists who can be contacted on issues related to COVID-19, economic and other challenges that may have consequences for business.
The Barristers Lawyers Association during quarantine provides free advice to employees of healthcare institutions on criminal and administrative liability, as well as on the observance of the legal rights and interests of health workers.
The microcredit company Moneyveo announced a donation of UAH 3 million for the purchase of artificial lungs ventilation machines for Ukrainian hospitals.
Accordbank set a rate of 0.001% on previously granted consumer loans to health workers and canceled all types of fees under contracts.
PrivatBank allocated EUR 1 million to supply 28 hospitals with artificial lungs ventilation machines and other equipment necessary for overcoming the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Four machines have already been delivered to hospitals in Kyiv, Odesa and Lysychansk.
Synevo, part of Sweden’s Medicover holding, has handed over the COVID-19 diagnostic equipment using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests – the most reliable method for diagnosing this coronavirus disease, to the Public Health Center, Synevo Development Director Mykola Butenko said at a video press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.
The equipment made by Swiss Roche will allow increasing the speed and the number of COVID-19 tests and will significantly increase the accuracy of test results, removing human element from the process.
The analyzer’s capacities are 96 tests per hour. Different types of biomaterial (blood, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and others) can be tested.
The equipment has already been delivered by Synevo to the virology reference laboratory of the Public Health Center in Kyiv, which will perform COVID-19 testing.
“In Ukraine, because of the high cost of equipment, this initial stage is usually tested manually by laboratory staff. This limits the speed and number of tests performed. Using the new analyzer will minimize the human factor. As a result, we will significantly increase the number of tests performed and eliminate the risk of human error,” Butenko said.
The use of new equipment will increase the safety of the laboratory staff, since the apparatus performs the process of RNA extraction from the biomaterial automatically, therefore, the laboratory staff will no longer have to contact samples of potentially infected biomaterial.
To launch the analyzer, representatives of Roche Diagnostics in Ukraine will be involved in the startup of the equipment, as well as in special training for employees of the Public Health Center’s laboratory how to use the equipment.
The PCR method directly detects DNA or virus RNA in the biomaterial, therefore this method is the most reliable in the world for the diagnosis of COVID-19.
