More than 170 healthcare facilities in Ukraine receive funding under the medical guarantee package called "Emergency Preparedness." This refers to biological, chemical, radiation, or nuclear threats. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Health Ihor Kuzin in an interview on the "Ye Rozmova" program, as reported by UNN.
Details
Kuzin commented on how many hospitals in Ukraine are ready for biological and chemical attacks, considering Russia's proximity.
After the end of COVID-19, the experience gained in the readiness of healthcare facilities to quickly deploy additional beds, provide intensive care or emergency medical assistance. It was decided that this network of healthcare facilities would continue to function. For such healthcare facilities, a separate package of the medical guarantee program was created, called "emergency preparedness."
He noted that this package funds the healthcare facility not on the principle of services already provided, but in advance to ensure the facility's readiness for any threats, including biological, chemical, radiation, or nuclear ones.
As of today, more than 170 healthcare facilities receive such funding throughout Ukraine. This is a very powerful network consisting of emergency departments, bed capacity, and a certain medical reserve that is maintained at the level of the healthcare facility. There is also a large number of regulatory documents that regulate their work.
The Deputy Minister of Health noted that these healthcare facilities receive funding in advance each month, and accordingly, these resources are spent by them on creating or updating this reserve.
They also underwent specialized training, or they have trained specialists who, for example, know how to conduct dosimetry, who understand modern protocols for treating injuries from certain chemical agents. Therefore, this system is now a pillar for the civilian healthcare sector.
Addition
There were recorded cases when Russia used chemical weapons against Ukrainian defenders.
In the spring of 2024, the US accused Russia of using the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops.