The Ukrainian Health Ministry has proposed setting up an independent agency for the procurement of medicines and medical devices with a supervisory board that will not be subject to the control of the ministry or the government to ensure that it operates transparently.

A draft resolution on the initiative was introduced by Health Minister Alexander Kvitashvili at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Commenting on the resolution, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk said that the Health Ministry's initiative would "withdraw cash flows from the ministry."

As reported, on October 28 Yatseniuk instructed the Health Minister to include the creation of an independent national agency for the procurement of medicines and medical devices on the agenda of a government meeting.