Ukraine's Health Ministry is almost ready to start international procurement using 2016 budget funds, acting Health Minister Viktor Shafransky said at a meeting of the parliamentary healthcare committee on Wednesday.

"After consultations with international organizations, and I hope that they will take place within two weeks, we will be ready to send money and start international procurement of 2016," he said.

Shafransky said that the ministry had conducted large preparatory work for 2016 international procurement to take into consideration the problems encountered during 2015 procurement.

He said that at present 36 out of 46 applications to buy medicines have been prepared, and this would be completed in coming days.

Shafransky said that the ministry asked international organizations to regulate the terms of supplies of medicines that will be bought using 2016 budget funds.

"We have sent some offers to understand when the delivery is organized," he said.

The ministry is trying to quickly react to the problems appeared during supplies of medicines bought using 2015 budget funds. In particular, during the procurement of one of the medicines by Crown Agents their expiration term was put under question. The ministry proposed to ask letters of guarantee from manufacturers for the free-of-charge replacement of medicines if they expire.