The Ministry of Health of Ukraine plans to expand the capacity of the COVID-19 contact center in connection with the start of the vaccination campaign in Ukraine, Deputy Health Minister Yaroslav Kucher said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"The contact center of the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 is preparing to receive applications related to vaccination. We train specialists, change their algorithm of work. As soon as the vaccination campaign begins in Ukraine, the contact center will have all the necessary information," he said.

In addition, Kucher stressed that since November 2, 2020, some 186,000 citizens have used the contact center. About 11,000 applications of citizens were registered, which were transferred to the regions for processing.

"We have carried out about 4,500 visits of mobile teams upon request to the contact center. About 4,500 consultations have been conducted by doctors through the contact center of the Ministry of Health. Since December 28, 79 requests from medical workers or their family members for receiving operational information on the status of consideration of their claims for payments in connection with illness or death due to COVID-19 have been received," the deputy minister added.

In addition, Kucher announced the creation of an educational medical series to increase the digital competence of healthcare workers, which will be funded by UNICEF.