Free medicines, support for cancer patients, and HPV testing: how Brovary takes care of community health

There are several important medical programs in Brovary aimed at maintaining the health of the community, in particular, of privileged categories of the population. The local authorities are convinced that such initiatives are vital for the community and plan to continue them even in the face of possible budgetary constraints due to the war, UNN reports.

Ihor Kravtsov, director of the Brovary City Center for Primary Health Care, told UNN in an exclusive commentary that one of the key programs is to provide free medicines and medical supplies to privileged categories of the population, including internally displaced persons (IDPs).

"We have two programs at the primary level: one is aimed at budget support for our company, and the other is aimed at providing privileged categories of the population with medicines and medical devices in accordance with the CMU's resolutions," Kravtsov said.

He noted that last year about 21 million hryvnias were spent on this, and the local authorities plan to spend the same amount this year.

In addition, Brovary actively supports women in the prevention of cancer. As part of the social protection program, free screenings for human papillomavirus (HPV) are conducted. "Women with suspected infection can undergo a free examination upon referral from a gynecologist at our center," said Kravtsov. He emphasized that the program is important for preventing serious diseases and is funded by the social service.

Kravtsov noted that local authorities hope that this program will be expanded. "We hope that over time we will be able to expand the programs, in particular, to introduce HPV vaccination for girls, as is common in many countries," Kravtsov said, adding that due to the limited budget, this remains in the plans for now.

As for men's health support, he said, no such programs have been launched yet, but the possibility of their implementation is being studied.

In addition, the local authorities of Brovary allocate significant funds to support cancer patients living in the community. The hospital provides them with free chemotherapy drugs, which are expensive because all the components are foreign-made.

"We have official contracts with pharmacies where these drugs are dispensed to patients, and they undergo therapy in an inpatient or day-care center," Kravtsov said.

Funding is also used to provide such essentials as diapers for people with disabilities, which is an important support for bedridden patients.

Brovary Mayor Ihor Sapozhko, in an exclusive commentary to UNN, emphasized that such programs are important for the health and well-being of community residents. He added that the city authorities will continue to support these initiatives despite the limited budget.

"We understand how important these programs are for our citizens, especially for those who need constant medical support. The programs of free medicines, support for cancer patients and cancer prevention are vital initiatives, and we are doing our best to maintain them even in difficult conditions. Taking care of the health of our community remains our priority," said Sapozhko.

He added that although the budget for next year may be limited due to the war waged by Russia against Ukraine, the city council will make every effort to continue supporting socially important medical programs.

Recall

Earlier UNN reported that Brovary is actively working to improve the city's accessibility for people with disabilities. They are installing electric lifts, adapting public places, and advising businesses on creating a barrier-free environment.