In 2021, Ukraine is planning to perform lung transplants for the first time, as well as upper and lower extremities, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

"Our goal in 2021: a minimum of 250 transplants. In 2021, we plan not to send people abroad for kidney and liver transplants, our doctors are able to do these transplants. We also plan to perform lung, upper and lower extremities transplants this year," he said.

The minister added that it is also planned to introduce a package of the Medical Guarantee Program to accompany patients after transplantation.

"We need to introduce a package of the Medical Guarantee Program with medical services for post-transplant support. We will also develop a mechanism for involving all types of transport, including civil aviation, aviation transport of the State Emergency Service, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, in the transportation of anatomical materials and recipients," Stepanov said.

"In addition, we plan to introduce tools for assessing the quality of the work of intensive care units and a mechanism for assessing the management of patients with brain damage in medical institutions. The issue of improving medical education, professional development of specialists is also acute. For this, we will introduce programs for sending our specialists for internship abroad," he said.

Stepanov said that since January 1, the Unified Public Organ and Tissue Transplantation Information System, which connects the donor and the recipient, has been available in Ukraine.