12:49
17 Nov 2020
Shmyhal explained how they prepared healthcare for pandemic over last six months
Photo Reuters
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal spoke about the government's preparation of the medical system over the past six months.
He told this to deputies during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada.
"At the beginning of the pandemic in Ukraine, there was only one automatic sample preparation station for RNA extraction. One station to do PCR tests and virtually no staff. Now there are about 60 stations, and there'll be 68 by the end of the year.
They carry out the work on improving the capacity of our medical system daily:
- The number of PCR tests. In mid-April, the number of PCR tests was 3.5 thousand per day. Now we reach the level of 50 thousand a day. By the end of the year, the task set for the profile ministry is to reach 75,000 a day. We did zero EIA tests in April, and now we do 20-30 thousand every day.
- The work of state laboratories was resumed almost from scratch. The laboratories have been funded by UAH 1 billion in total during this time. Additional payments are set for their employees.
- Beds: At the beginning of the pandemic in Ukraine, only 12.5 thousand beds were ready to receive patients. Currently, their number is 54 thousand. And every week the Government adds 2 to 4 thousand new beds. At present, we don't see the need to deploy mobile hospitals, but such preparations are underway.
- Regarding the ALVs involved. Now we have about 700 of them involved. Meanwhile, almost 5,000 devices are placed in hospitals. ALV occupancy is below 20% in the country.
- The primary task now is to provide oxygen. In fact, the government has allocated UAH 1.5 billion for these needs. The whole certification is simplified as much as possible. Every day we talk to manufacturers of oxygen, supply systems, suppliers of concentrators in order to coordinate the entire process and logistics effectively," the Prime Minister said from the rostrum of the Verkhovna Rada.
