The appeal of patient organizations to Yulia Tymoshenko

TO: Yu. V. Tymoshenko, Leader of the Political Party “Batkivschyna”,

People’s Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Public Message

Dear Yulia Volodymyrivna,

Yesterday, at the Coordination Board meeting you disseminated false information about government procurement of medicines through the international organizations.

We, as representatives of the patients’ community assure you that delegation of the procurement of medicines, vaccines and medical supplies through the international specialized organizations is one of the most effective anti-corruption reforms in the health sector proved by years of work.

For the first time funds for the public procurement are not plundered, but saved. According to the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine, international organizations save up to 39% of the funds allocated for procurement of medicines. These are direct savings that allow providing treatment to more patients. Some medicines are procured at a price 67 times lower than during the MOH procurement in 2015. The saved funds permitted to procure up to 70% of additional medicines for some programs. Over 60% of medicines are procured by the international organizations directly from manufacturers as compared to small percent of manufacturers participating in the MoH tenders before implementation of this anti-corruption reform.

The tenders on the ground show the effectiveness of international procurement as opposed to the PROZZORO system. Today the regional oncology centers and state institutions procure medicines at prices up to 300% higher than through the international organizations (evidence from monitoring of procurement of medicines for oncology patients conducted by the Anti Corruption Action Center).

Deliveries of medicines for the funds of 2015-2016 are completed according to the plan. What you call ‘medicines short delivered for these years’ is only 0.007% of the deliveries of the 2015 contract amount. Now these medicines are being delivered at the cost of funds saved by the international organizations. Similar situation is with deliveries for 2016 procurement budget: the supply of medicines procured additionally for the saved funds is now being completed.

In 2018, the procurement cycle has been finally straightened out. Agreements with international organizations were signed in April and the first tenders have already been completed.

Julia Volodymirovna, public procurement reform is the achievement valued by thousands of saved lives. Discrediting and deprecating it means denying the problems of patients and using peoples’ grief for sensational populist slogans.

We call you, dear Yulia Volodymyrivna, as the leader of the faction, not to voice unverified information and not to mislead voters and people’s deputies. The truth is that the pharmaceutical procurement reform is really supported by the patients’ community and saves our lives!

This message is signed by:

1. Boyko Inna, Executive Director of CF “Patients of Ukraine”
2. Dmitry Sherembey, Chairman of the Coordination Council of CO “Network 100% of Life”
3. Yuri Lazarevich, Chairman of the Board of CO “Network 100% of Life Rivne”
4. Maria Adamchuk, President of the CF “STOPRAK”
5. Angela Moiseenko, Chairman of the Board of CO “Chernihiv Network”
6. Maria Aylen-Shevchenko, Chairman of the Board of CF “Open Palms”
7. Tetyana Barlas, Chairman of the Board of All-Ukrainian NGO “Joy of the Movement”
8. Lyudmila Ayvazyan, Head of NGO “Mental Health“
9. Natalia Gurn, Chairman of the Board of NGO “Drug Control”
10. Tymofy Badikov, Chairman of the Board of NGO “Parents for Vaccination”, NGO “Health Platform”
11. Olena Strizhak, Chairman of the Board of CO “Positive Women”
12. Onipko Nataliya, President of the CF “Formula for Success»
13. Oleksandra Balasna, Chairman of the Association of Parents of Prematurely Born Children “Early Birds”
14. Oleg Martynyuk, Chairman of the NGO “Glimmer of Hope”
15. Ivan Zelensky, Director of the Patient’s CF “Blood Drop”
16. Petrova Lyubov, NGO “All-Ukrainian Association of Crystal People”
17. Yuriy Romashko, Executive Director of the NGO “Institute of Analytics and Advocacy”
18. Roman Drozd, Executive Director of the CF “Light of Hope”
19. Yevhenia Panichevska, Director of the CF “Association of Parents to Children with Autism”
20. Oksana Shevchuk, Chairman of the Board of the Vinnytsa Regional Branch of the CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”
21. Oleksandr Kolisnyk, Chairman of the Board of the CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”, Dnipro City
22. Natalia Nagorna, Director of CF “Let you Heart Beat”
23. Igor Lytvyn, Chairman of the Board of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Branch of the CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”
24. Tetyana Parshikova, Chairman of the Board of CF “100 Percent of Life”, Kherson region
25. Vitaliy Tkachuk, Chairman of the Board of CF “100 Percent of Life”, Kyiv region
26. Svitlana Moroz, Chairman of the Board of CO “Sunrise Club”
27. Oleksandr Kripak, Chairman of the Board of the CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”, Kryvyi Rig
28. Yulia Chabanyuk , Chairman of the Board of the Kirovograd Oblast Branch of the CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”
29. Dmytro Tygach, Chairman of the Board of CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”, Lviv City
30. Ігор Коновалов, Chairman of the Board of Mykolaiv CF “All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”»
31. Alla Khodak, Chairman of the Board of CF “100 Percent of Life”, Odessa City
32. Valentina Kalmykova, Executive Director of the CF “Luhansk Oblast Association of All–Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS”
33. Zagrebelny, Chairman of the Board of NGO “CHANCE Club”
34. Natalia Mishtal, Chairman of the Board of CF “Ternopil Branch of the All–Ukrainian Network of PLWH”
35. Andriy Demyanenko, Chairman of the Board of CO “Zakarpatie CF of the Network”
36. Sergey Dmitriev, Chairman of the Board of CO “Network of 100 Percents of Life”, Kharkiv City
37. Anna Skrypka, Chairman of the Board of CO “Network of 100 Percents of Life”, Kherson City
38. Snizhana Strylets, Chairman of the Board of Khmelnitsk Oblast Association of All–Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS”
39. Viktor Karatov, Chairman of the Board of CO “Network of 100 Percents of Life”, Ivano-Frankivsk
40. Vadym Velyzhanin, Chairman of the Board of CF “Chernivsty Branch of All–Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS”