KYIV. Jan 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The cost of surgical treatment of cardiovascular diseases is from UAH 35,000 to UAH 220,000, and not UAH 10,000 as the Health Ministry believes.

Director General of Heart Center of the Health Ministry Borys Todurov gave the information at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine.

"If UAH 60 million provided by the state to finance the Heart Center last year is divided into 5,900 surgeries conducted by the center employees, it would be slightly over UAH 10,000. According to the approved tariffs, the cost of surgical treatment of cardiovascular diseases is from UAH 35,000 to UAH 220,000. Covering only the fifth part of the sum at most the state makes patients and doctors to look for the lacking money," he said.

Todurov confirmed that in 2016 the Heart Center received 1,363 stents procured using budget funds. He said that demand for them is up to 5,000.

"Along with the cost of the stent, the cost of the surgery includes many other medical products, medical expendables and medicines. All stents that we received from public procurement were implanted free of charge. You should understand that only stents were implanted free of charge," he said.

Todurov said that the cost of the stent implantation surgery includes tests and examination, use of expensive medical products, medicines, staying in the intensive care unit and other things.

"A stent procured costs UAH 6,000-8,000. This does not mean that the entire procedure will be free of charge. Many things are not procured," he said.

Todurov said that the switch to insurance medicine could resolve the problem of delivering health care, in particular, cardiovascular care.

"The main efforts to reform the sector should be aimed at this. Medical service standards and approval of their cost, with which the switch to medical insurance should be started, could be made in three or four months. It does not require special legislative changes. However, the new team of the Health Ministry failed to do this," he said.

As reported, according to the Health Ministry, the cost of one coronary angiography and stent implantation procedure is from UAH 10,000 to UAH 17,000, using the formula.

Early January 2017 Todurov criticized effectiveness of procurement conducted using state budget funds. However, some nongovernmental organizations said that this medical institution bought medicines using budget funds at too high prices.

In addition, Todurov accused the ministry of barring the opening of branches of the Health Ministry's Heart Centers in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Meanwhile, according to the website of the Heart Center, on December 26, 2016 its branch was opened in Severodonetsk (Luhansk region).

The Health Ministry believes that the branch was opened in violation of the regulations of the Heart Center of the Health Ministry.