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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has transferred funds to the regions where flu epidemic was announced, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said during a selector conference Wednesday.

The Prime Minister also ordered channeling money to other regions for the prevention of the disease spread. The head of government informed that it would be permitted to buy medications without tenders if their price corresponds to the indicative wholesale prices of medicines set by the economy ministry. In case the price is lower, it will be possible to buy medicines without Ministry of Economy approval.



Polish epidemiologists are expected to come to Lviv region (western Ukraine) on Wednesday.

Beside drugs, safety masks and medical equipment, the Poles also offered to the region laboratory assistance for free identification of pathogenic organisms. Polish experts have already provided 300 test systems. Research materials will be sent to the Polish laboratory closest to the Ukrainian border. A group of Polish epidemiologists is also expected to come with mobile equipment for making local analyses. Ukraine's nine regions were quarantined on October 30 because of the flu epidemic.


Kyiv hits epidemic threshold
Epidemic threshold has been slightly exceeded in Kyiv at the cost of a considerable number of patients with acute respiratory diseases, says Oleksandr Hrynevych, director of the Flu and ARD Center.

"The clinical picture similar to the western regions is not yet observed in Kyiv. The epidemic threshold has been hit, but mostly at the cost of acute respiratory diseases," he said. At the same time, the Center head says, it is not worth announcing epidemic situation all across the country, "Because there are regions where the disease is on decline compared to the previous week." The health ministry says a total of 6,357 people contracted flu and ARDs. 166 patients were taken to hospital. No lethal outcomes have been reported. The number of flu casualties in western Ukraine has reached 86. The total number of flu and ARD patients is above 225,000 all across Ukraine.