Ulyana Suprun: How an American volunteer minister is destroying Ukrainian healthcare

Ulyana Suprun, an American and Maidan volunteer, headed the Ministry of Health (as Acting) on ​​August 1, 2016, by personal invitation. Petro PoroshenkoAfter this appointment, one might think that social mobility had begun in our country—that a responsible and proactive person, focused on reforming a corrupt system, had come to power. However, this is nothing more than an attempt by the current government to install an outsider who doesn't understand the basics of healthcare management in the "hot seat."

Little-known acting minister Ulyana Suprun seems like a saint compared to others, but her biography has its blemishes.

Ulyana Suprun: Made in USA

Ulyana Nadiya Suprun (née Yurkiv) was born in Detroit, USA, in 1963. She has Ukrainian roots. Ulyana's grandmother, Maria Voloshchuk, was originally from Volyn and was an active participant in the Ukrainian liberation movement of the 1930s and 1940s.

Her grandfather, Ivan Yurkiv, was a lieutenant in the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) army (born in 1919). At the beginning of World War II, he was identified as the "commandant of the Ukrainian police." Since the Germans had no "commandants," this most likely refers to the "Ukrainian police" created by the OUN in the summer and fall of 1941. The activist's family immigrated to West Germany after World War II, and then to the United States. In the US, Suprun's father, George Yurkiv, became involved in stock trading. Profitable deals allowed him to become a shareholder and vice president of North American Controls (a military equipment manufacturer), ensuring a secure future for his children.

Ulyana Suprun was raised in a nationalist and patriotic spirit. She attended a Ukrainian school and church, and was a member of the Plast scout organization. Her parents first brought their daughter to Ukraine when she was 11 years old. They returned to their homeland several times after that.

Ulyana Nadiya received her education at the University of Michigan Medical College (meaning, not a higher education, but, let's say, a basic one!). In 1989, she became a certified radiologist specializing in breast diagnostics. Incidentally, tuition for this specialty is $450, making it accessible only to the children of the wealthy. Suprun also trained in radiology at Henry Ford Hospital, where she simultaneously headed its women's department, and at Sinai Grace Hospital. In our parlance, the current minister is a radiologist. In our country, the profession isn't very lucrative, but in America, it's a highly paid position (an X-ray in the US costs between $300 and $500) with minimal responsibility.

After graduating, Ulyana Nadiya met her future husband, Marco, a Canadian of Ukrainian descent, and they moved to New York. Ulyana found work as a radiologist at a private clinic.

In addition, the young couple leads an active social life – they take part in various pro-Ukrainian projects.

In 1990, Ulyana became a member of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, which unites the Ukrainian diaspora in 44 countries. During this period, the couple regularly visited Ukraine on various missions, both humanitarian and intellectual. In 1992, they even celebrated the second anniversary of the country's independence in the capital. During this visit, the family experienced Ukrainian medicine for the first time. Marco had an inflamed appendix. The operation was performed in the capital. According to Ulyana Suprun, she was struck by the difference between the medical services provided in Ukraine and in America.

From 1995 to 2013, she volunteered with the Ukrainian Youth Union in New York, where she chaired the Council for Humanitarian Aid to Ukrainians for two years. She also served as president of the Ukrainian-American Civil Liberties Association.

In 2000, Suprun and a colleague founded the Medical Imaging of Manhattan clinic in downtown New York City. The clinic specializes in gynecological radiology, including mammography, ultrasound, and biopsy.

It's like a very large, fancy, and expensive "diagnostic clinic," the kind that's proliferating in Ukraine these days: all they do is diagnose, but no one treats. The clinic was doing well, as Americans have an unspoken belief that regular checkups are essential. Now, multiply that by the average cost of a service of $300-$500, the figure is quite high. Ulyana ran the "diagnostic clinic" for eight years.

From this Skelet.Org concludesSuprun did not study or work in tactical medicine. Her specialty is laboratory and diagnostic work.

In 2004, the volunteer couple actively supported the Orange Revolution from America. They were the main organizers of Ukrainian-American rallies and demonstrations in Washington and New York. The couple was also responsible for public relations, explaining events in Ukraine to American journalists, politicians, and congressmen.

After the victory of the "Orange" party, Ulyana Suprun was finally able to delve into her scientific work. In 2006, she co-authored a scientific publication titled "Radiation-Associated Extraskeletal Osteosarcoma of the Chest Wall." It should be noted that after the Orange Revolution and up until the Euromaidan of 2013, Ulyana and Marko were not eager to help Ukraine. Their volunteer work stalled, and rather devolved into nominal membership in all committees and unions.

In 2012, the Suprun family sold their New York home and quit their lucrative business to pursue their dream of traveling the world. Within a year, they had traveled halfway around the globe. In 2013, shortly before the Maidan, the couple began considering Ukraine as a permanent residence. Before that, they had considered living in London. Their plans were upended by the dispersal of students on the square. Ulyana arrived in Ukraine first, a month after the start of the Euromaidan, and then Marco arrived.

Volunteers on the Maidan and politics

During the 2014 Revolution, the Supruns found themselves in their element – ​​Marko worked with foreign journalists, filming documentaries, and Ulyana became a volunteer with the Maidan Medical Service. She helped wounded Maidan protesters and was present during intense clashes. However, her experience was insufficient to provide qualified care to the wounded. Suprun herself is open about this. She has repeatedly stated that such care should be provided by people with a different level of training. She also admits to another fact – her failure to help a wounded soldier, who subsequently died.

After such statements from the American doctor, it was necessary to create something voluntary, just to make it look like something. So, in the spring of 2014, Suprun and her husband quietly decided to create a volunteer public organization, "Defense of Patriots."

Ulyana began searching for military medics and tactical medicine experts for the training. Naturally, such specialists were found in America. For the first participants of the tactical medicine course, she brought in experts from the California Center for Disaster Medicine, medics, and trainers who had worked in "hot spots." Now about the courses themselves: for military personnel, they last three days; for special forces medics, seven days. According to volunteers, this time is enough to turn an inexperienced person into a half-doctor. Undoubtedly, for the poorly prepared Ukrainian army of the spring of 2014, even these courses, based on NATO standards, were a lifesaver.

"Patriot Defense" supplied Ukrainian soldiers with improved NATO-standard individual first aid kits. A family of volunteers raised funds for the humanitarian aid abroad, in Canada and the United States. 11 life-saving kits, each costing $100, were delivered to the ATO zone. Of course, not every soldier received a first aid kit. Suddenly, a volunteer began to speak out harshly about the use of the hemostatic drug Celox by soldiers. At the time, it was being actively purchased to provide soldiers with at least some medication. Suprun called Celox life-threatening and began promoting a similar drug, Kviklot, which has been used in NATO forces since 2008. However, no replacement medications were issued.

In mid-2014, Ulyana Suprun became the Director of Humanitarian Initiatives at the Ukrainian World Congress.

It should be noted that the volunteer family closely communicates with representatives of the Right Sector.

In July 2015, President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree granting Ukrainian citizenship to Ulyana Suprun and her husband “as individuals whose admission to Ukrainian citizenship is of state interest.”

During the meeting, the volunteer handed Poroshenko a first aid kit and offered him a course in tactical medicine. A few months later, Suprun became a freelance consultant to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Healthcare. Clearly, this appointment was necessary for further career advancement.

Ulyana Suprun successfully combined her work at the Verkhovna Rada with her position at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv. She became the director of the School of Rehabilitation Medicine, which trains physical therapists (specialists in movement development) and occupational therapists (who assist people in everyday life).

Ulyana Suprun. Life in the Ministry

A year after being granted Ukrainian citizenship, Ulyana Suprun received another gift from the President: an offer to work at the Ministry of Health. Ulyana accepted.

On July 22, 2016, the volunteer became the First Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine (for ATO issues), and five days later, she was appointed Acting Minister of Health, replacing the dismissed Oleksandr Kvitashvili. It's worth noting that before the Ukrainian American, 15 officials had been offered the minister's post, but all of them declined, citing that everything had already been stolen by their "predecessors." This appointment was incredibly beneficial for the Ukrainian government: they both honored the Americans and once again gave their fellow citizens hope, saying that a smart American lady had arrived and would cure everyone. Moreover, Petro Poroshenko He didn't try to install "his own man" in the chair, of which there is, of course, a whole line. He unquestioningly gave the position to a "foreign cadre."

So, on August 1, 2016, Ulyana Suprun was introduced to the general public as the new head of the Ministry of Health. Incidentally, they didn't even wait until the end of the parliamentary recess to introduce the newly appointed minister to the public.

An awkward moment occurred at the Minister of Health's first briefing. It turned out that Suprun was poorly versed in the Ukrainian healthcare landscape and confused vaccines with anti-tetanus serums. At the time, everyone was talking about the shocking case of a little girl from Dnipro who contracted tetanus. The illness progressed, the child began having seizures, and the entire city couldn't find any anti-tetanus serum. The entire city searched for it, through social media and through parliament. Fortunately, the drug was found. Anti-tetanus serum became a national problem, requiring a global effort to address it. Naturally, Suprun was asked about this situation at the briefing. However, the minister's response was, to put it mildly, surprising. Ulyana emphasized the child's lack of vaccination and promised to personally check the availability of tetanus vaccines in the regions. Then she launched into ephemeral discussions about vaccinations and parents' ignorance of their importance. Apparently, Suprun wasn't aware that Ukraine simply doesn't have vaccines. Moreover, she wasn't talking about vaccinations, but about a vaccine—a tetanus toxoid—that the country didn't have.

Moreover, at the briefing, Ulyana Suprun did not present a program for reforming the healthcare sector, as is customary for newly appointed ministers. She promised to announce the reforms sometime in the fall.

American medical vehicle

As a reminder, the government tasked Suprun with a task it hadn't been able to accomplish on its own in a quarter-century of independence: reforming the healthcare system by offering Ukrainian society something new. And the American volunteer surprised everyone.

Law on donor transplantationAt a briefing announcing her appointment, Suprun shared a touching story about a good friend of hers in America who has been waiting 16 years for a transplant. She also assured everyone that she would lobby for a law on donor transplantation in Ukraine as part of state policy. She has already prepared the ground for this. In April, the Verkhovna Rada passed bill No. 2386a-1 in its first reading, allowing organ transplantation from deceased people who consented to it during their lifetime. The authors of the bill are members of parliament Olha Bogomolets and Oksana Korchynska.

The essence of the Suprun bill is the presumption of consent: if a citizen during his lifetime did not write a statement banning the capture of organs and / or other anatomical materials, then it is considered that he provided such consent “by default”. In short, after death, the body of any Ukrainian can go to the organs of the needy. Naturally, such a law is adopted not in favor of sick fellow citizens who simply cannot afford such operations, but in order to provide patients with foreign transplantology clinics with biological material.

The document has already been agreed with the administration of President Poroshenko, and representatives of the Ministry of Health have begun work on the creation of a coordination center for transplantology. And the most egregious: The Cabinet is ready to increase funds for sending patients for organ transplants abroad.

Testing foreign drugs on UkrainiansTwo weeks after her appointment, Ulyana Suprun issued Order No. 835 "On the Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medicinal Products and the Approval of Substantial Amendments," according to which foreign-made drugs for cancer, schizophrenia, rheumatoid arthritis, lung diseases, and pneumonia will be tested on Ukrainians.

New drugs were developed in the United States, France, and Switzerland. The drugs will be tested not only on adults but also on children. The document provides for 97 requests for clinical trials. Ukrainian officials rejected only two – a psoriasis drug and a children's depression drug (from Russia and Denmark). Sixteen experiments were approved unconditionally, and 80 were subject to modifications. The following regions were included in the study: Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Poltava, Kyiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Kherson oblasts.

Thus, Ukrainians become guinea pigs, as they are not warned about the testing. Under the same law, for example, in the West, people who take untested drugs are paid money—on average, $1000. However, in our country, this is unheard of. Most likely, people will thank foreign pharmaceutical companies for providing experimental pills because they are free. The order also does not provide for insurance against adverse effects from participating in clinical trials or compensation for complications or deterioration of health.

But it's not that simple. Clinic directors who have authorized experiments with new drugs receive compensation from pharmaceutical companies, according to Skelet.Org, from 10 to 50 thousand dollars. The kickbacks will go to the American volunteer who orchestrated the scheme.

Paramedics in the Ambulance»Ulyana Suprun wants to remove doctors from ambulance crews and replace them with paramedics—paramedics without higher education. This is the essence of the emergency medicine reform. Currently, an ambulance has three to four people: a doctor, a paramedic, an orderly (not always), and a driver. According to the minister's plan, there should be two—a paramedic and a medical orderly who is also the driver. This way, the patient won't be diagnosed but simply transported to the nearest medical facility. Given poor roads, overcrowded hospitals, and negligent patient care, this can lead to death. Moreover, paramedics are powerless when it comes to pulmonary edema, stroke, heart attack, and pain shock. They are not authorized to perform resuscitation.

Suprun also promised to open call centers. Doctors will provide consultations over the phone, and ambulances will only respond to genuine emergencies.

"Closing" of the "Oncology" program. Reports surfaced that the Ministry of Health did not intend to implement the targeted state aid program "Oncology" in 2017. This meant that millions of people were doomed to a painful death from cancer. However, the Ministry of Health stated that no funding for cancer patients was expected to be abandoned next year, dismissing the information as false. They also promised to increase the funds planned for purchasing medications for cancer patients.

However, Ulyana Suprun actively advocates that the Ministry of Health should focus on prevention instead of cancer treatment. It's unclear how a "Beware, Cancer!" poster and a slew of advertisements will help people overcome this disease. However, Suprun's point is clear. For her, prevention means a checkup. As we recall, Ulyana is an advanced radiologist with a "diagnostic room." Her main goal is to make all preventive services fee-based and to profit from low-income Ukrainians, for whom cancer is a death sentence.

Improving the availability of medicinesUlyana Suprun is seeking to introduce a mechanism to reimburse the cost of medications for Ukrainians. Specifically, reimbursement is envisaged for medications for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Soon, these medications will be available at pharmacies with a prescription, guaranteeing a 50-70% discount. However, it's unclear how much money will be spent on this initiative.

Tender monopoly. This, according to all officials, is the main cause of corruption. For the second year running, medication procurement has been carried out through international organizations. Suprun stated that in 2015, savings on medication procurement exceeded 790 million hryvnias compared to 2014.

However, this innovation also poses serious problems. This year, medications for children with cancer, purchased by the Ministry of Health through the international organization Crown Agents and supplied by Lyudmila Pharm LLC, were held in a temporary storage warehouse at the Kyiv Customs Office of the State Fiscal Service for 90 days. The reason was Lyudmila Pharm LLC's refusal to carry out all necessary customs procedures. The Ministry made a concession: the private company transferred ownership to the international organization, with the condition of complete tax exemption. Will the Ministry of Health continue to be so lenient toward private entities that constantly "steal" money?

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All these initiatives point to one thing: today, Ukraine is undergoing the commercialization of its healthcare system. We are transitioning to an insurance-based model, under which every single service will be paid for.

Ulyana Suprun. Honest and rich.

As soon as Ulyana Suprun took her seat as minister, she immediately opened the second entrance to the Ministry of Health, which had been closed for several years. She also retrieved a statue of Hippocrates, which had been gathering dust in the ministry's basement for many years, and placed it in the center of the hall.

Ulyana wears an embroidered shirt to work, not designer clothes. She usually walks and carries a backpack. She absolutely hates high heels and rarely wears a dress.

Despite all this, the Minister of Health is a hryvnia millionaire. In 2015, Suprun earned just over 129,6 hryvnias, and she also has 58,1 million hryvnias in foreign accounts. This information is included in her declaration. It's strange that a patriot distrusts Ukrainian banks. And even stranger, the money is simply sitting there. Americans usually invest in securities. One possible explanation is that the money was received recently, and Ulyana hasn't yet found a place to invest it.

Last year, Suprun received 36 hryvnias in salary, meaning her monthly salary was 3 hryvnias.

The Suprun couple also owns an apartment with a total area of ​​100 square meters.

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The latest scandal involves Ulyana Suprun's attempt to block Natalia Sholoiko's appointment as State Secretary of the Ministry of Health in order to "push" her "own" candidate, the current Deputy Minister of Health for European Integration, Oksana Sivak, into the post.

Sholoyko won the competition for the position of State Secretary of the Ministry of Health. However, Suprun opposed her appointment, claiming the elected official had a conflict of interest. Ulyana did not specify what exactly. This is despite the fact that Sholoyko was recently appointed Deputy Director for Registration and Pharmacovigilance at the State Expert Center of the Ministry of Health. This appointment was approved by the Minister of Health.

As a result, let us paraphrase the Russian classic: “No money. Good health to you!»

Arina Dmitrieva, for Skelet.Org

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