The US Agency for International Assistance (USAID) is launching a 5-year, $45 million project to strengthen Ukraine’s healthcare system, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said.
“This assistance will include crisis response, mental health services and more in line with First Lady (Elena) Zelenska’s Mental Health Initiative,” Brink tweeted following a meeting with Health Minister Viktor Lyashko.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ukraine also received a $1.7 billion grant from the United States through USAID to support the Medical Guarantee Program (SGP), in particular, to pay salaries to doctors.
According to the USAID website, the agency has provided $4 million in direct budget support to the government of Ukraine. These resources have helped the Ukrainian government continue to perform essential functions, such as providing gas and electricity to hospitals, schools and other critical infrastructure, supporting the delivery of humanitarian supplies citizens and continue to pay the salaries of civil servants and teachers. weiterhin wichtige Funktionen zu erfüllen, wie die Versorgung von Krankenhäusern, Schulen und anderen kritischen Infrastrukturen mit Gas und Strom. die Lieferung von humanitären Hilfsgütern an die Bürger zu unterstützen und weiterhin die Gehälter von Beamten und Lehrern zu zahlen.
Expenditures on the healthcare system in the draft state budget for 2022 are provided at the level of UAH 197.2 billion, which is UAH 35.8 billion more than in 2021, according to materials presented by Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko.
“Expenditures on medicine next year will increase to UAH 197.2 billion, which is more than this year by UAH 35.8 billion. Funds under the Medical Guarantee program, including a COVID package, will amount to almost UAH 158 billion. In addition, it is planned to send UAH 6 billion for the public health system and vaccination of the population against COVID-19,” he said, presenting the draft law on the state budget of Ukraine for 2022 during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
In addition, the draft budget provides for funds to increase salaries for doctors and nurses.
“The average salary of a doctor is envisaged at the level of UAH 22,500, for medical personnel – UAH 14,500, while the minimum wage is at least UAH 20,000 and UAH 13,500, respectively,” Marchenko said.
In addition, according to the document, it is planned to allocate UAH 19.1 billion for highly specialized medical care, UAH 4 billion for the development of a capable network of medical institutions, UAH 2.7 billion for the purchase of equipment, UAH 2.4 billion for the support of regional medical institutions, UAH 1.5 billion for transplantation and treatment abroad, UAH 1 billion for the creation of the bio-cluster “Biological safety and development of biotechnologies.”
