More than 30\u00a0Ukrainian patient organizations of\u00a0different types of\u00a0diseases addressed the acting President of\u00a0Ukraine and the Chairman of\u00a0Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov, the Prime Minister Arsenii Yatsenyuk, with the demand not to\u00a0save money on\u00a0the health of\u00a0Ukrainians. They argue that the Government is\u00a0gradually facilitating deaths of\u00a0patients and is\u00a0on\u00a0the edge of\u00a0causing medical disaster in\u00a0Ukraine by\u00a0its decisions.<\/p>\n
“Last week politicians have stolen from patients money for treatment, that have been incorporated in\u00a0raising the excise taxes on\u00a0tobacco and alcohol. Excise taxes have been raised, however money will not be\u00a0spent on\u00a0treatment,\u00a0\u2014 <\/em>comments Dmytro Sherembei, Chairman of\u00a0Charitable Foundation Patients of\u00a0Ukraine. \u2014\u00a0They had tricked all of\u00a0us, as\u00a0the excise taxes have been raised the next day after we\u00a0had held great action in\u00a0front of\u00a0the Parliament Excise Taxes Save Lives! and sounded our statements in\u00a0Parliament. Our draft law that envisages transfer of\u00a0money raised from excise taxes to\u00a0cover the treatment budget deficit that equals 3,1 bln UAH, had been ignored. We\u00a0will not ignore this and will immediately mobilize all Ukrainian patients to\u00a0fight for our right to\u00a0life, as\u00a0cutting the budget for oncological, diabetes, hepatitis patient means death for the later”,<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 he\u00a0adds.<\/p>\n In\u00a0their letter patients\u2019 organizations note, that manipulation by\u00a0power is\u00a0not acceptable, as\u00a0majority of\u00a0Ukrainians had supported the raise of\u00a0excise tax, thinking that significant part of\u00a0these funds will be\u00a0used for the needs of\u00a0sick, and not go\u00a0to\u00a0the budget\u2019s general fund.<\/p>\n “On April 3\u00a0the Minister of\u00a0Finance reported that increase of\u00a0excise taxes is\u00a0a\u00a0tool in\u00a0order to\u00a0prevent the financial disaster. However if\u00a0we\u00a0will not transfer money today for the drugs of\u00a0HIV-positive people, it\u00a0will be\u00a0the beginning of\u00a0a\u00a0humanitarian disaster, the plan to\u00a0cause deaths in\u00a0Ukraine”\u00a0\u2014 <\/em>commented Volodymyr Zhovtyak, the Chairman of\u00a0the Coordinating Council of\u00a0the All-Ukrainian Network of\u00a0People Living with HIV\/AIDS.\u00a0Huge opposition of\u00a0the patient community caused the additional 7%\u00a0VAT on\u00a0supply of\u00a0drugs, starting April\u00a01. “It\u00a0will be\u00a0a\u00a0last nail to\u00a0the coffin of\u00a0hundreds of\u00a0thousands of\u00a0Ukrainians,\u00a0\u2014 <\/em>Hanna Hopko, Deputy Chairman of\u00a0the Board of\u00a0Trustees of\u00a0the Special Hospital for Children OKHMADYT shares her deep concern. \u2014\u00a0Our government and MPs have a\u00a0miraculous logic, according to\u00a0which excise taxes on\u00a0vodka and wine will be\u00a0raised only starting from September\u00a01, but the excise taxes on\u00a0drugs had already been raised\u00a0\u2014 starting from April\u00a01. This is\u00a0the best reflection of\u00a0the sad fact that interests of\u00a0large alcohol corporations, who have been given a\u00a0reprieve, are the priority, but unfortunately not protection of\u00a0Ukrainian ill citizens that cannot afford treatment.”<\/em><\/p>\n In\u00a0their open letter patients demand to\u00a0adopt amendments to\u00a0the State Budget and redistribute the part of\u00a0the funds gathered from excise taxes on\u00a0alcohol and tobacco to\u00a0finance those who are deadly ill and to\u00a0cancel the 7%\u00a0VAT on\u00a0support of\u00a0the drugs. According to\u00a0their calculations, every day in\u00a0Ukraine 1607 people die due to\u00a0the lack of\u00a0drugs, which is\u00a0almost 600\u00a0000 Ukrainians a\u00a0year, and these lives could be\u00a0saved if\u00a0the patients\u2019 suggestions are supported.<\/p>\n Contact persons:<\/p>\n Natalya Krasnenkova
\n<\/i> 067 465 54 26
\n<\/i> krasnenkova@prhouse.com.ua<\/a><\/p>\n