РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Oleksiy Danilov: Given the COVID-19 epidemic, it is vital to make timely and effective real-time decisions at all levels

On October 5, 2021, on the instruction of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov held a meeting at the NSDC Staff on topical issues of medical care for COVID-19 patients.

Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Solovyov, Acting Minister of Health of Ukraine Oleksandr Komarida, Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine – Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Ihor Kuzin, Temporary Acting Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine Dmytro Samofalov, specialists of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service and the NSDC Staff participated in the meeting.

Mr. Danilov stressed that given the tough epidemic situation, it is vital to make timely and effective real-time decisions not only at the state level but also in each territorial community, within the region, and a separate health care institution for medical assistance in accordance with the citizens’ needs.

According to him, an effective tool for this is the modern information-analytical system “COTA”, developed and put into operation by the NSDC Staff, in particular, its medical component, which allows public authorities and local governments to use prompt, relevant, and reliable information on the burden on the health care system in the light of the COVID-19 epidemic.

The participants of the meeting discussed the current state of Ukraine’s health care system in terms of territorial communities during the autumn-winter wave of COVID-19, in particular, the provision of medical staff, beds for patients, confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients, with centralized oxygen supply, medicines, etc. - both in relation to health care facilities that provide medical care in outpatient and inpatient settings and in relation to the laboratory network of state and municipal forms of ownership.

Particular attention was paid to discussing the possibilities for increasing testing of patients with suspected COVID-19, which will help to prescribe timely treatment to patients, reduce the number of cases of severe disease and, consequently, reduce mortality.

The NSDC Secretary noted that in pursuance of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine of April 2, 2021, “On the National Plan for vaccination against the COVID-19 acute respiratory disease caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2”, put into effect by the Presidential Decree of 03.04.2021 № 139, it is extremely important to vaccinate the majority of the adult population of Ukraine, as stated in the decision, primarily the most vulnerable to complications of this disease – those aged over 60 and patients with chronic diseases.

As a result of the meeting, a decision was made to restore the round-the-clock operation of the headquarters for eliminating the consequences of the state-level medical and biological emergency of a natural origin, related to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, in order to respond as effectively as possible to any situation related to the epidemic of a particularly dangerous infectious disease.

Mr. Danilov noticed that the national health care system is fully prepared for a possible increase in the number of patients with COVID-19, and is willing to provide medical care to patients with other pathological conditions. “I am confident in the high professional training of our medical staff”, - he said.

The NSDC Secretary also called on the leaders of territorial communities to be more actively involved in counteracting the COVID-19 epidemic, as they are personally responsible for exercising their powers under the law.