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Health Ministry requested botulism serum abroad

The ministry wants the drug delivered as humanitarian aid.

Health Ministry requested botulism serum abroad
Photo: Photo: lifedon.com.ua

The Health Ministry of Ukraine asked the embassies and international organizations to supply the serum against Botulinum as humanitarian aid, a source in the ministry told Interfax-Ukraine.

The ministry has not yet received a response to this request.

The MoH has worked out mechanisms to purchase the botulism serum through international organizations that procure medicines for government funds. The Cabinet is expected to approve the necessary regulations in the near future.

"We are working to speed up the procedure for obtaining this serum and seek humanitarian assistance," the source said.

Three Ukrainians died of botulism in recent weeks after consuming jerked fish, and ten people have hospitalized.

The ministry claims that they have repeatedly asked the producers of serums from botulism to initiate state registration of their drugs in Ukraine, without which serum cannot be procured and used.

The only way to bring the medicine in Ukraine, hence, is through international organizations, which will be possible after the amendments to the law on the 2017 state budget are made.

Earlier, Ukraine used Russia-manufactured botulinum serum.

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