Ukraine's President Victor Yushchenko has met with Health Minister Yuri Polyachenko to outlined ministry's plans for 2007. The ministry will spend more money to fight cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and thus implement presidential decrees issued to tackle these problems. The minister said the government could also raise salaries to medical workers next year.

They spoke about the Children’s Hospital of the Future project, started by the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation. Mr. Polyachenko said the government would be able to invest UAH 50 mln in the project and also UAH 72 mln in the construction of Ukraine’s first cancer diagnosis center. He also said the ministry had almost completed the construction of a modern clinical center and was going to open a burn center in it.

Yushchenko and Polyachenko also discussed ways to develop the first-aid sector in rural areas.

ForUm