Posted on 10/30/2009 4:42:41 AM PDT by Uncle Ike
SHOCK! Epidemic of pneumonic plague in Ukraine? (updated at 05:39 pm) MIGnews.com.ua
Ministry of Health has not established the exact diagnosis of the epidemic disease in the western regions of Ukraine. Health Minister Vasyl Knyazevich has given information about spread of diseases in the Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv Regions today at the meeting of Cabinet of Ministers.
According to the Minister, the World Health Organization is ready to render assistance to Ukrainian experts and the Ministry of Health in order to establish the cause of death and development of disease flu in the Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv Regions.
"We are working at receiving the vaccine against influenza A (H1N1) also", - said Vasily Knyazevich and asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to render assistance.
Answering question of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko about the definition of the specific nature of the disease, the head of the Ministry of Health said: "The nature of infections is viral one. But at the moment it is not defined, is it the Californian influenza H1N1, or it is our seasonal influenza. To date, there is no precise diagnosis."
(snip)
According to the Minister of Health, to date, 12 adults have died in the Ternopil Region. "There are problems, people of working age 20-45 years are sick, there is a problem with pregnant women (we have the death in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil Regions), 17 patients remain in the grave condition, 4 of them have artificial pulmonary ventilation", - said Vasily Knyazevych.
(Excerpt) Read more at mignews.com.ua ...
Tymoshenko: One swine flu death recorded in Kyiv
Today at 13:44 | Interfax-Ukraine
http://www.kyivpost.com/news/city/detail/51891/
One person has died of swine flu in Kyiv, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said.
“I’ve just received a report from the health minister confirming the death of a man from California flu [A(H1N1) flu virus],” she said at a teleconference with regional governors in Kyiv on Wednesday.
The first deputy chairwoman of Kyiv City State Administration, Irena Kilchytska, in turn, said that “a man died of pneumonia yesterday and we have the first confirmation that this was [due to] the H1N1 virus.”
Ukraine gripped by the A(H1N1) flu virus
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/ukraine-gripped-ah1n1-flu-virus
4 November 2009
A sudden flu outbreak has brought life in Ukraine to a halt. All public meetings are banned, schools are closed for three weeks, and nine regions are in quarantine. The Ukrainian health ministry says 70 people have died of the A(H1N1) flu virus and 15,000 are in hospital.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko focused the world’s attention on his country’s problems in an impassioned speech calling on the European Union, the World Health Organisation and NATO to come to Ukraine’s aid. The sudden flu outbreak was more than the country could cope with.
What’s more, the dramatic appeal came amidst rumours of biological warfare in the capital Kiev. A plane was said to have flown over the city releasing powder containing a mutated variety of the virus. The Ukrainian government categorically denies the reports. But in a country where everything is in short supply and presidential elections are on the horizon in January, such stories are hard to quash.
Denial
According to Piet Spijkers of Dutch Humanitarian Aid to the Children of Ukraine Foundation, the problem is that the Ukrainian government has systematically denied the existence of the A(H1N1) flu virus, known in the Netherlands as Mexican flu. It has provided no public information and taken no precautionary measures.
“Of course the situation is miserable, and a bit panic-stricken, but that’s typical of a country like Ukraine. They knew this was coming months in advance, just as much as we knew it in the West. But the government denies there are orphans, it denies there are street children, and they thought the Mexican flu was only for Mexicans. And now panic has struck.”
Mr Spijkers describes the situation in the children’s hospitals his foundation supports as appalling. There is a lack of basic medical supplies. There are barely any Flu tests, vaccines or anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu. The children’s hospital in Lviv, 130 kilometres from the Polish border, has 100 Tamiflu tablets for 160 patients. “If children get ill, we can’t even establish whether they have the A(H1N1) virus. We just have to go by the symptoms,” he says.
Garlic
Lviv, with a population of nearly a million, is one of the nine regions that have been placed in quarantine. The city’s pharmacies have been emptied. Even garlic, a popular household fever remedy, is either exorbitantly priced or sold out.
Election fever
The flu panic seems partly to have arisen out of political power games. Presidential elections are due in January, and both opposition and government know the electorate will judge them on their handling of the flu epidemic, says Mr Spijkers.
“I think politicians here are using or exploiting it to strike a political pose for the presidential elections in January. Of course there is something going on. But I’m afraid they’ve made a mess of it and now it has a political background.”
It’s in the interest of both President Yushchenko and his challenger, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, that the public sees their concern. According to Mr Spijkers there’s no other explanation as to why the government should be making such a show of the problems.
It’s unlikely that the flu will be a real vote winner. Even without the pandemic, the health service in the former Soviet republic is in a deplorable state. Ordinary Ukrainians barely have any access to decent medical care. Infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are rife.
The WHO is concerned at the speed with which the flu is spreading in Ukraine. A team of experts has been sent to the country to investigate whether the A(H1N1) virus has mutated. The organisation says the situation is actually no worse than in other countries. However, there is a striking rise in the number of patients admitted to hospital with lung diseases. It’s not clear whether they are infected with the A(H1N1) virus.
_________________
I agree with you 100 %
Ukraine
“Swine flu reached the army
04/Nov/09
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said that at this time in Ukraine registered 3967 patients with viral diseases among soldiers.
According to an UNIAN correspondent, this head of state said today during a meeting with leaders of armed groups.
Among these patients - in 190 and found pneumonia in a 4 - virus strains A/H1N1. In connection with what Yushchenko called for an immediate leadership of the Ministry of Defense consult with the leadership of the Ministry of Health and other medical facilities for the effective treatment of military personnel.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345004.html
The good thing is they seem to devolve quickly - nature is better at bio-killing machines than "scientists"... thank God.
Ukraine flu outbreak widens, Kiev announces control moves - Summary
Posted : Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:10:29 GMT
By : dpa
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293225,ukraine-flu-outbreak-widens-kiev-announces-control-moves—summary.html
Kiev - Ukraine’s deadly flu outbreak widened on Wednesday, as government officials announced new emergency measures in an attempt to control the spread of the illness. More than 478,000 people were registered with national health authorities as suffering from the flu, of whom 17 had confirmed cases of swine flu, Health Ministry spokeswoman Lyudmila Luharska said.
The nationwide death count from flu-related illnesses since late October stood at 86, Luharska said at a Kiev press conference, according to the Ukrainska Pravda website.
Flu infection was highest in Ukraine’s western Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk provinces, where reports of flu to health authorities had doubled since the weekend, she said.
Four deaths from the virulent swine flu strain were confirmed as of Thursday, Luharska said.
One man who died of swine flu was a Kiev resident, the news agency Interfax reported. A second person in the Ukrainian capital was suspected of having been infected with swine flu.
The Kiev swine flu death marked the first jump of swine flu from Ukraine’s western provinces, where the flu outbreak has been concentrated so far, to Kiev, Ukraine’s largest metropolitan area.
Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said at a meeting that her government would enact more emergency measures to control the disease’s spread and to combat retail shortages of anti-flu drugs and protective anti-infection masks.
Tymoshenko said the government would prepare a plan “within a week” to establish a nationwide chain of state-run drug sales centres to combat what she called hoarding and price-gouging by the private health industry, according to a report by the Korrespondent website.
The centres, each offering a limited assortment of some 100 basic anti-cold and flu drugs, would operate in government-run hospitals and clinics, and sell medical supplies at a marginal price mark-up, Tymoshenko said.
Tymoshenko also instructed Foreign Minister Petro Poroshenko to obtain a “special pandemic price” in negotiations with international drug companies for emergency deliveries of anti-flu drugs to Ukraine, according to an Interfax report.
Government textile and clothes factories have received 1 million metres of gauze and cheesecloth from state reserves, Tymoshenko said,and emergency production of surgical masks was beginning, according to a TSN television news report.
Initial deliveries of cloth masks would reach the general public in seven days, “sufficient to provide every Ukrainian citizen two masks,” she said.
Factories in Kharkiv and the hard-hit Lviv region would produce the masks, according to Ukrainian media reports. Tymoshenko on Monday said that if necessary, her government would commit 6 million metres of gauze and cheesecloth to the emergency mask production programme.
Tymoshenko was scheduled to travel to the Lviv province, the epicentre of the flu outbreak, on Thursday afternoon, according to a Cabinet of Ministers statement.
Ukraine
The epidemic has already killed 86 Ukrainians
04/Nov/09
In connection with the epidemic of influenza and acute respiratory infections (ARI) to date in Ukraine, 86 people died.
According to an UNIAN correspondent, the director of the Department of motherhood, childhood and sanatorium of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Raisa MOISEENKO announced today at a press conference in Kiev.
She noted that everyone must observe the basic rules of conduct that will not the flu and colds.
“What is important today for all the decline in air temperature to avoid hypothermia is an organism. Because it is a major factor in the risk of contracting. People should dress well. Second - do not stay in areas with large concentrations of people. At present, we can see fewer people on the streets. We are pleased that embraced our call. Third - all-important question - the correct, high-quality, fortified food, “- said R. MOISEENKO.
She also underlined the critical importance of hand washing and mask treatment.
“People bought everything that can be redeemed, those masks, which are driven out, in the rush immediately toss a pharmacy network. A huge request to people who wish to protect themselves Mask regime - four layers of gauze, needle with thread, four ropes - everything “- R. MOISEENKO advised, adding that every two hours should disinfect the mask, exposing the heat treatment, because it accumulates all of the harmful environment.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345027.html
10 hours the number of patients in the Carpathian region increased by 6 thousand Nov. 3 09
translated on babelfish
Today, on November 3, in the Transcarpathian region a quantity of the patients with influenza and [ORVI] increased by 6 thousand people.
On this they reported in control of information and connections with the community of Transcarpathian [oblgosadministratsii]. As the saying goes in the communication, according to the information of control of [zdravookhranenya], as of 18:00 on Tuesday November 3, in Transcarpathian region it is registered with 18 thousand by 618 of patients sharp respiratory infection and with influenza. A quantity of patients as of the 8:00 of the morning on November 3 composed 12 thousand 805 people. I.e., actually for 10 hours a quantity of patients increased almost by 6 thousand people. From the total number of patients in the Transcarpathian region it is already hospitalized 851 people. Among those fallen ill - 4 thousand 222 children of pre-school, 4 thousand 728 - school age even 9 thousand 668 adult.
http://korrespondent.net/tech/health/1014512
Ukraine
Expert: improper use of Tamiflu more harm than help
04/Nov/09
The drug “Tamiflu” should be used only after consultation with the doctor, since its improper use can be very dangerous for human organism.
This belief in an interview to UNIAN made deputy chief state sanitary inspector of Poland Jan ORGELBRAND.
He noted that this drug can be used within 48 hours after virus infection, noting that one can not “abuse” with its use.
“Too frequent use leads to the fact that the virus ceases to react to it, which is very dangerous. After all, if the virus gets used to the drug, you have nothing left to treat influenza ...», - he said.
Ya ORGELBRAND also stressed that there is no sense to take the medicine after two days of the onset of the virus in the body.
“Moreover, the application after 48 hours only leads to the fact that the virus develops to the drug” immunity “”, - he said.
Director, Department of medicine and pharmacy of the Ministry of Health of Poland Artur Peleg told UNIAN that Tamiflu - is today the strongest drugs influenza infection, noting that they can treat not only the so-called “California” flu.
According to him, the drug was used in Poland for the treatment of patients as A/H1N1, and ordinary flu.
A. Peleg also noted that inappropriate use of Tamiflu could do more harm than help the patient. He called for a drug only after consultation with the doctor.
“If we want to preserve the effectiveness of this treatment, it is not necessary for them to abuse, it must be under medical supervision”, - he said.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345033.html
Record Seasonal Flu Shots Expected in U.S.
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: November 04, 2009
....Overseas, reports of what appeared to be severe swine flu outbreaks in Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine, continued and could serve as a warning of what might happen elsewhere as winter sets in, especially in countries without vaccine. Ukraine's ministry of health reported 250,000 cases of flulike illness, with 235 patients in intensive care and 70 deaths.
That is a small outbreak compared with those in Mexico or the United States, but the cases grew so quickly that Ukraine closed its schools and universities and asked for help. The World Health Organization, which sent a team to the capital, Kiev, on Monday, said the outbreak "may be indicative of how the virus can behave in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter, particularly in health care settings typically found in Eastern Europe."
Only a small number of samples have reached the W.H.O. laboratory, but they indicated that H1N1 swine flu was at least partly responsible for the outbreak. The next step will be to see whether the virus has mutated in any way that would make it more threatening.
WHO Targets Hemorrhagic H1N1 Cases in Lviv Ukraine! Has it Spread to Belarus? « Socio-Economics History Blog
"The seriousness of this outbreak is no longer in doubt. Will this become a full-blown pandemic like the 1918 Spanish Flu with high mortality rate? It remains to be seen. If it is the H1N1, then it clearly has mutated to a more deadly form. Virus mutates into less and less harmful strain in general. They do not in normal circumstances mutate into a more and more deadly strain. Otherwise, they will kill their host quickly and they will not be able to infect and spread to survive.
"This outbreak in Ukraine is looking more and more like the 1918 Spanish flu. This....
thanks , for the ping :)
Comment: Pandemic politics
Ukraine
Yushchenko was indignant: the head doctor in the Ukraine was a politician
04/Nov/09
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko urged politicians not to give recommendations for the treatment of influenza and to transfer this right only to specialists.
According to an UNIAN correspondent, he said during a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Health.
According to the President, “the chief doctor in the Ukraine was a politician who every day from the TV screen tells what to drink and what to consume.” He urged journalists “do not let politicians screen, let the screen professionals.
Yushchenko also noted that Ukraine has scrapped a campaign to vaccinate the population. According to him, for the period the spread of influenza in the state desires to make a vaccine showed only 6% of Ukrainians. “Medicine is not totally trust”, - he said.
He also again called on politicians not to use the influenza epidemic in their purposes. According to Yushchenko, even such tragic moments politicians try to use the benefit for themselves.
The President was outraged by the fact that the shipment of essential drugs at the airport to meet not only the responsible people, but also a group of politicians. “In what country the night shipment of pills meets half of the government?”, - Said Victor Yushchenko.
In addition, he expressed outrage that even during the spread of influenza in Ukraine carried out the mass political activities. The President recalled that on 24 October in the Ternopil region of the viral diseases were reported 10 deaths. However, the same day in Kiev brought 200 thousand people. “Who gave permission to bring in people?”, - Said V. Yushchenko near the heads of the Ministry of Health. He also noted that the authority of the Ministry and doctors, in particular, in Ukraine catastrophically low.
V. Yushchenko said that during an epidemic of the Ministry of Health should be a monopolist in the provision of public information regarding the status of disease, as well as recommendations regarding how to treat the disease.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345051.html
http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11040902/Ukraine_Double.html
Commentary
Reported Cases in Ukraine Double in Two Days
Recombinomics Commentary 14:34
November 4, 2009
478,456 Influenza/ARI
24,003 Hospitalized
60 Ventilators
81 Deaths
The above numbers are from the latest update from Ukraine. The number of infected patients has almost doubled to just under ½ million, compared to the report two days ago (see map). Hospitalized patients also have spiked higher, to 24K from 15K. ICU cases are not listed, but 60 on ventilators are. However, most (37) of those on ventilators are Chernivisti Oblast, but Lviv, which has the most fatalities and cases, has none, suggesting the data is incomplete or there are significant shortages of ventilators. The number of dead has risen to 81, but media reports describe additional fatalities, include those in the Kiev Oblast.
The explosion of cases again raises concerns that the number of fatalities is significantly higher than the 81 listed. Media reports have described an equal number of pneumonia fatalities which were not considered flu related. The basis of these exclusions remains unclear. Similarly, anecdotal reports suggest the number of fatalities is markedly higher than the 81 in the table.
The rapid rise in reported infections, hospitalizations, and deaths in the past few days raise concerns that the virus is transmitting very efficiently. Spikes in cases have been reported throughout the northern hemisphere, but the spike in fatalities and the frequency in hemorrhagic cases in Ukraine have raised concerns.
Earlier media reports suggest that an update by WHO might be issued today and include preliminary analysis of samples sent to Mill Hill in London.
Daily updates on the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine, including sequence analysis, would be useful.
Ukraine
Another 3 thousand people became ill in Zhytomyr region
04/Nov/09
One day in the Zhitomir region registered more than 3 thousand new cases the incidence of influenza and acute respiratory viral infections.
This UNIAN reported in the Directorate of Health of Zhytomyr Regional State Administration.
According to their data, the last day (at 15.00 today) for registered 3377 new cases of influenza and ARI, among them adults - 2054, including 19 pregnant women and 1323 cases among children under the age of 18. 123 hospitalized patients, of which 38 adults (including 3 pregnant women) and 85 children under the age of 18 years. In general, the Zhitomir region of influenza and SARS have already ill 13554 people., Are hospitalized 631 people.
Doctors called on the population of the region to limit the maximum stay in crowded places and avoid contact with patients.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345059.html
Ukraine
WHO praised Tymoshenko for epidemic
04/Nov/09
Precautions being taken by the Ukrainian Government in combating the epidemic of influenza, it is quite reasonable.
Told at the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, the WHO Representative Gregory Hartl, RBC-Ukraine with reference to Assosiated Press.
“By closing schools and canceling large-scale fees at the early stages of the epidemic, you can slow the spread of the virus,” - said G. Hartley, adding that so far has only one confirmed death in Ukraine from “California” flu.
http://www.unian.net/rus/news/news-345070.html
A HatTip & Kudos to freeper Oorang who posted this :)
Here are a couple to add. This one is a blog from the Ukraine:
http://www.vysotska.blogspot.com/
This is just the Twitter Ukraine flu page:
http://twitter.com/search?q=ukraine%20flu
WHO team arrives to assist with Ukraine flu probe
Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer
Nov 3, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said its team arrived in the Ukraine last night and met with the country’s health ministry today to discuss a dramatic spike in flulike illnesses and deaths, particularly in the western part of the country.
The Ukrainian health ministry has recorded more than 250,000 flulike illnesses, of which 235 patients needed treatment in intensive care units, the WHO said in a statement today. As of yesterday, 70 deaths had been reported.
The high level of illnesses activity and severe cases, combined with reports of hemorrhagic pneumonia cases, have raised some speculation that the virus might be behaving differently in the Ukraine, but further testing is just getting under way.
Laboratory testing at labs in the Ukraine have confirmed the pandemic H1N1 virus in samples taken from patients in two regions, the WHO said, adding that because the pandemic virus has become dominant throughout the world, most of the Ukrainian respiratory illnesses are probably caused by the novel H1N1 strain.
Though the highest illness rates have been seen in the western part of the country, illness activity is increasing rapidly in Kiev, the WHO reported.
The WHO’s field investigation team will start in the Lviv region, where the number of cases of severe respiratory illness has been especially high. Virologists from the WHO have started working with Ukrainian scientists at the National Influenza Centre and the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, both in Kiev.
Ukraine’s health ministry has sent viral samples to the WHO collaborating center in London, where laboratory experts will conduct confirmatory tests and further characterize the virus.
The outbreak raises several questions and may provide clues about how the virus will circulate in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months, particularly in areas such as Eastern Europe that have healthcare challenges.
The WHO commended Ukrainian officials for their transparent reporting and open sharing of viral samples. It also said border closures and international travel restrictions are not warranted.
Lawmakers in the Ukraine today approved legislation freeing up $1 billion UAH (about $131 million) in reserve funds for flu response actions, according to a report from UNIAN, the country’s independent news agency.
The country’s head sanitary inspector today, in a television interview, denied that the country was experiencing an outbreak of pandemic flu and said only 14 cases had been confirmed, including three deaths, according to another UNIAN report today.
Meanwhile, two of Ukraine’s top leaders, who are opponents in a January presidential election, scrambled to respond to the flu outbreak, UNIAN reported. President Victor Yuschenko instructed the military to prepare portable military hospitals, and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko promised to provide all of the country’s residents with masks to reduce their flu exposure.
An official from the Ukraine’s flu and respiratory disease center, Oleksandr Hrynevych, today projected that pandemic H1N1 vaccination could begin in a month or two after regulators approve two vaccines that are undergoing testing, according to a report from the National Radio Company of Ukraine (NRCU). He said the vaccine supply will come from the WHO and from individual country donations.
A warden message posted on the US State Department’s Ukrainian embassy Web site said US officials are aware of the outbreak and are monitoring the situation. Though the country has imposed several social-distancing measures, such as a 3-week school closure, Ukrainian officials have told the State Department that no general quarantine is in effect.
The US embassy said that, because of legal restrictions and lack of resources, it is not able to provide private citizens with pandemic supplies, medication, medical treatment, or medical advice.
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/nov0309ukraine.html
Hat Tip to Cascadians on TB2 & PFI Poster BeWell
04.11.2009 19:00
Press office of President Victor Yushchenko
President’s address to the Ukrainian people on the occasion of flu epidemic in Ukraine
http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/15609.html
Dear fellow citizens!
I address you in performance of my constitutional duty under the Article 106 of the Basic Law of the state.
The reason is the emergency epidemic situation in the country.
Infections of viral origin, including the A/H1N1 flu, are rapidly spreading across Ukraine.
The emergency is evident in the scale of the epidemic: the speed and the geography of its spreading, rapid progress of the illness and the exceptional number of deaths.
People are dying. The epidemic is killing doctors. This is absolutely unprecedented and inconceivable in the XXI century.
All the limits have been exceeded - even those under the Constitution that determine my actions as the President.
Therefore I am motivated by the most important: the security of your life and your health.
Therefore I give clear and frank assessment of the situation. And you should know that.
We have special risk factors that aggravate the epidemic in Ukraine.
The conclusions of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, my numerous consultations with national and international experts show that.
First. Unlike similar epidemics in other countries, three pathogens of viral infections came to Ukraine at the same time: two of them are seasonal flu and the third is the A/H1N1.
According to virologists, such a combination of infections due to mutation may produce a new, even more aggressive virus.
That’s why I have addressed the United Nations with the request to conduct a virologic examination in Ukraine and to establish the appropriate laboratory in order to take timely preventive measures.
Second. The A/H1N1 virus is easily mutating. It has travelled across half of the globe before coming to Ukraine.
This means that the virus has become particularly pathogenic.
This means that medical aid must be urgently reinforced by emergency, critical care treatment.
The third risk factor. It is generally known that the only way to prevent any infection is vaccination.
Due to unprofessional and highly disorganized vaccination against measles and rubella in Ukraine the practice of vaccination is compromised in essence.
According to the estimates of the Minister of Health approximately 58% of citizens are vaccinated today in Ukraine with the effective level being 90% and higher.
People have stopped getting vaccinated against extremely dangerous infections: tuberculosis, diphtheria, etc.
This led to high risk of A/H1N1 infection spread, when the virus came to Ukraine and made impossible preventive vaccination against both strains of seasonal flu.
All this made general epidemic situation in Ukraine even more complicated.
As the President I ask you, dear fellow citizens, to reconsider your attitude to vaccination and do it if necessary, but only, I emphasize it - only after consultation with the doctor.
At the same time I instruct the Government and the Ministry of Health to immediately start preventive and promotional work in areas where there is no epidemic, targeting primarily the special risk groups.
I demand the Government to immediately cancel the existing order of registration of medical supplies, including vaccines.
Studying this issue by the National Security and Defense Council shown that this procedure has allowed various dealers to bring to Ukraine dubious medicines, which are not recognized by the WHO or other national institutions.
Under my direction the Security Service is investigating the issue.
The fourth factor. In reality it is the Reactor 4.
I mean the epidemic, rapid spread of viral infections in the west of the country. The Government, the leadership of the Parliament and the opposition were all aware of that already in early October.
The first and the most effective preventive measure is avoiding large gatherings of people.
Ignoring this principle, hundreds of thousands of people from different regions were brought to Kyiv; from both the areas struck by the epidemic, and those where there was no evidence of this epidemic.
This greatly increased the risk of infection.
I emphasize: it was a well-known thing. And it was ignored by the Chairman of the Parliament, by the opposition leader and, first of all, by the Prime Minister. And Chief Sanitary Inspector, together with his subordinates in the regions, including those in the city of Kiev ignored their professional duty.
This directly reminds of the May Day demonstration in Kiev, held shortly after the accident at Chernobyl NPP.
This is a display of criminal irresponsibility of politicians and complete indifference towards the people.
Let me cite one example. On October 20 the epidemic of flu was declared in Ternopil with schools and kindergartens closed for quarantine. “From October 21 secondary and primary schools are closed due to the growing rate of flu and ARD sickness”. This was the order of local authorities.
As of October 20 the rate of ARD in Ternopil was 172.9 cases per 10 thousand people with epidemiological threshold for the city being 160 patients per 10 thousand people. In other words - all services of the country responsible for monitoring the figure were informed and knew about the situation.
However, not a single Sanitary Inspector has banned either the movement of people, nor their gathering, including those in Kiev on October 24, when people have gathered at the central square.
I would like to remind you, my dear, that on October 24, 2009 10 deaths were known to have occurred in Ternopil region itself and 6 deaths were reported in Lviv region. And in 7 days after the abovementioned gathering Kyiv turned out in the situation, when the rate of sickness demanded the announcement of flu epidemic. This is the behavior of the great politicians. The neglect of elementary means of prevention of a disease in any country in the world, by any society. Because they must conduct a show, they have concerts, because they were paid for and 130 million have already been spent.
In that, dear Ukrainians, I see not only moral but also criminal liability.
I have addressed the Prosecutor General of Ukraine with the request to institute criminal charges of negligence committed by first of all the Chief Sanitary Inspector, Kyiv City Sanitarian and the officials, who, despite having daily information on the epidemic situation in the country, neglected it in pursuit of political dividends and ambition.
Now, the only principle of organizing preventive measures at the national scale should be as follows:
We treat the West and defend East, Center, North and South of Ukraine amain.
I now rely solely on the professionalism of our doctors. Today they are the true heroes of our nation.
I once again demand the Government to comply with the order the National Security and Defense Council to resolve the issue of wages for our doctors in this difficult period for the country.
The fifth factor.
Dear fellow citizens, the key threat that is aggravating the situation is chaos in the system of healthcare and protection of lives of people.
Today we must recognize that Ukraine does not have a single healthcare system. Prevention of any infection, including through vaccination, the localization and overcoming the consequences of epidemics is the responsibility of the State Sanitary-Epidemiological Service of Ukraine.
The Service is headed by the Chief Sanitary Inspector. He is appointed by the Prime Minister.
The current Constitution after alterations in 2004 makes the Government solely responsible for conducting state healthcare policy.
The practice of using the power, as evident today, is a failure.
To the executive power, which is not subordinate to the President, I have suggested the holistic healthcare reforms plan and a set of instructions and recommendations that would help create the optimal model of the system for years to come. My remarks were presented as the groundless interference in Government’s work and as the unfounded criticism.
Back in April of 2009 I addressed the Government with the request to establish a special interdepartmental commission on fighting the spread of flu viruses, to finance the establishment of Flu Center and to take all measures to protect the country against flu. That included providing adequate availability of medicines, facemasks and all other necessaries.
Partial implementation of the instructions has its consequences.
They were not ignoring me – they were ignoring the people, the citizens. It is clear why. Because Ukraine still has unfair system of healthcare - one is for the power, the other is for the people.
We must change the system. We must change the entire system of government in Ukraine.
But now, in this moment there is no time for waiting or remonstrance.
National Security and Defense Council should become the center of decision-making.
Failure to comply with its orders will immediately result in application to the law enforcement authorities.
I remind all the responsible persons and draw attention to all of my orders, made in Lviv four days ago. In three days the deadline for compliance with these orders expires.
With my decree I put Minister of Health and Chief Sanitary Inspector of Ukraine into the Council for National Security and Defense.
I am conscious of my responsibility.
I express deep condolences to the families and relatives of those who have died.
I express my deep appreciation to doctors, who are saving our people risking their own lives. I am moved by this sacrifice. Such a commitment means that the epidemic will be stopped.
I appeal to all of you, dear fellow citizens, to show solidarity, mutual support, and strictly adhere to all the safety regulations regarding protection of your health and lives.
For not a single moment you will be left alone by the state.
Thank you for your attention.
I don't want to alarm anyone unnecessarily but the outbreak of H1N1 flu in Ukraine appears to have taken a very ominous turn for the worse: It is now being reported that flu victims are showing signs of Hemorrhagic pneumonia a characteristic that killed millions in the 1918 "Spanish" flu pandemic.
If this is confirmed, this is very ominous and would be a reason to consider changing one's mind about getting vaccinated (assuming you can even get a vaccination).
In 1918 the flu hit normally healthy young people particularly hard due to something called a "cytokine storm" that caused the victim's immune system to go into "Hyper-drive".
This is very bad news.
If you can't or won't get a flu vaccination be prepared in other ways: Masks, gloves, body bags...
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