The Verkhovna Rada Budget Committee has agreed on the increase in spending from the national budget for 2020 on the purchase of medicines by UAH 3.655 billion, Ukraine's Minister of Health Zoriana Skaletska reported on Facebook.

"Some UAH 3.655 billion – that's just how much the team of the Ministry of Health, together with the committee on public health, medical assistance and medical insurance, managed to increase the budget for the purchase of medicines in 2020. The budget committee supported our initiative!" she wrote.

According to the minister, UAH 1.22 billion will be additionally allocated for the purchase of medicines and medical goods for the treatment of cancer patients, UAH 434.18 million will be allocated for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, UAH 1.548 billion for the treatment of patients with orphan diseases, and UAH 450.614 million under the budget program "Treatment of Ukrainian citizens abroad."

Earlier, the Patients of Ukraine charity foundation stated that oncology treatment costs should be increased by UAH 1.22 billion, cardiovascular disease treatment by UAH 454.18 million, and a treatment program for patients with orphan diseases by UAH 2.4 billion, a children's program for the treatment of cerebral palsy, autism, bleeding, peritoneal dialysis, endoprosthetics, multiple sclerosis, transplantation by UAH 410.78 million, financing for treatment of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, drug addiction and hepatitis by UAH 463.69 million.