ON TUESDAY, THE 3RD OF NOVEMBER, THE PLENARY MEETINGS OF THE FIFTH SESSION OF THE VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE OF THE 6TH CONVOCATION WERE HELD.
Volodymyr Lytvyn, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine informed on the results of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine during the period from 20 till 23 October at the beginning of the morning sitting.
The Chairman reminded that the first issue to be scrutinized by the People´s Deputies was "On Situation on Epidemic in Ukraine of Influenza and Pandemic Influenza A/H1N1 and Immediate Measures on Prevention of Spread of Pandemic Influenza in Ukraine."
Situation on Ukraine of influenza epidemic in Ukraine was reported by Yulia Tymoshenko, the Prime-Minister of Ukraine.
The Prime-Minister reminded that the Government in April adopted first resolutions that presupposed the allotment of funds from the Reserve Fund off Cabinet of Ministers UAH 50 million. Moreover, all necessary resolutions were adopted regarding the prevention of influenza spread on the territory of Ukraine.
Yu. Tymoshenko informed on the statistic of illness: during 9 months of the year 2009 and during 9 months of the year 2007. For the same period the quantity of sick with influenza and respiratory diseases in the year 2007 was bigger approximately in one million.
The Prime-Minister informed that on 2 November 19 thousand 189 people were sick with influenza and 236 327 were sick with respiratory disease. From the beginning of the epidemic state and quarantine 71 people died.
Yu. Tymoshenko stressed that the prior tasks of the government are first of all provision with the necessary medicines, exclusively on free-of-charge basis, of the hospitals and rendering assistance for the citizens.
The Prime-Minister reported on the situation in regions according to which in 8 regions during the last 24 hours the situation more or less stabilized, only in Volyn region the increase of illness is observed.
Yu. Tymoshenko stressed that during all last years the policy of the state regarding the pharmaceutical business was incorrect, as almost all the pharmacies are in the private property now.
The Prime-Minister accused the owners of the private pharmacies and certain producers of medicines in "marauding."
Tetiana Bakhteeva, the Chairperson of the Committee on Health Protection informed on alarming situation because of the season and pandemic А/Н1N1 influenza cases in Ukraine.
Tetiana Bakhteeva stressed the fact that the country had no possibilities to hospitalize all sick people.
According to T. Bakhteeva, one of the reasons of outbreak and rapid development of epidemic was complete unreadiness and failure of the executive power to react in time on this situation.
Chairperson of the Committee declared that the Committee was aware of possible epidemic complication and informed the Government on it in time.
On preparation and conduction of the heating season was reported by Oleksiy Kucherenko, the Minister on Housing and Communal Services Matters.
According to the Minister, the main problem issue is that not all the housing-communal enterprises concluded the agreements on the gas supply because of their debts.
O. Kucherenko named the regions where the problems may appear during the heating season.
Volodymyr Rybak, the Chairman of the Committee on Construction, Urban Development, Housing and Communal Services and Regional Policy stressed that the Policy of the Ministry on Housing and Communal Services should be aimed now at retention of this branch as due to lack of financing the situation is complicated.
Oleksandr Yaremenko, the Vice-Chairman of Court of Auditors stated that the situation with the spread of influenza is a result of unsatisfactory work in this sphere.
O. Yaremenko declared that the Ministry on Health Protection failed to implement the order of the Government that envisaged the provision of virology laboratories, basic centers of Ukrainian Influenza.
O. Yaremenko declared that the Court of Auditors would supply the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine with more detailed information as soon as all the necessary monitoring is completed.
The People´s Deputies during the discussion expressed different thoughts regarding the work of the Parliament.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Draft Resolution "On Immediate Measures to be taken to prevent Spreading of Pandemic Influenza in Ukraine" as a Basis.
According to the People´s Deputies, one of the reasons of the outbreak and spread of the epidemic is that executive power bodies failed to react in time and conduct complex of actions aimed at the prevention of influenza A (H1N1) epidemic spread.
Pursuant to the Resolution, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is supposed to immediately provide the implementation of the Order of the President of Ukraine from 31 October 2009 № 887 "On Resolution of National Security and Defense Council from 30 October 2009 "On Immediate Actions regarding the provision of National Security under the Conditions of Pandemic Influenza Outburst in Ukraine" and adopted by the Government decisions aimed at the prevention of influenza A type (H1N1) and respiratory disease spread.
According to the Resolution, the Government is obliged to provide strict control for the correct use of funds aimed at the epidemic overcoming and in one-week term adopt register of Sanitary Protection of the Territory of Ukraine Rules. The Government also is supposed to elaborate common approaches regarding the information on development of epidemic situation, caused by the spread of influenza epidemic of pandemic influenza A type (H1N1).
The Government is obliged with the urgent solution of the issue on purchase of artificial pulmonary ventilation equipment of foreign production.
The document also envisages control for the availability of medicines and individual protection means and their prices in chemist´s shops.
Next The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Law "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2009" (re Supply of all the Hospitals of the Country with the Required Medicine and Equipment to diagnose the Disease and prevent Spreading of Flu Epidemic).
The Law allocates extra UAH 1 billion from the State Budget Reserve Fund to fund the measures aimed at the prevention of influenza epidemic spreading in Ukraine, reallocating the excess of gross receipts over expenses of the National Bank of Ukraine between the general and the special funds of the State Budget.
The Ministry of Public Health shall act as a chief administrator of funds.
The Chairman announced the morning sitting finished.
At the beginning of the evening sitting the People´s Deputies scrutinized the bill on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine regarding the elections of the Deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Autonomous Republic of Crimea, local councils and Mayors (re the peculiarities of the formation of the territorial election committees and implementation of the open lists of candidates on the office of Deputy). The bill was introduced by Serhiy Podhorny.
As a result of scrutiny the bill was rejected.
Next plenary meeting would be held on Wednesday, 4 November.