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Corruption in Medicine Procurement: Ukrainian case. Andrei Marusov, head of the board , TI Ukraine Expert Center for Political Studies & Analysis journalist. Health and medicines. Top three causes of morbidity in Ukraine: Cardiovascular diseases Nervous system diseases Oncology
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Corruption in Medicine Procurement: Ukrainian case Andrei Marusov, head of the board , TI Ukraine Expert Center for Political Studies & Analysis journalist
Health and medicines Top three causes of morbidity in Ukraine: Cardiovascular diseases Nervous system diseases Oncology Medicines communities most concerned Anti-cancer drugs Antiretroviral drugs Pegylated interferon Drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis Top three medicines procured
Corruption in Ukraine Evident everywhere TI Corruption Perception Index – 152nd place out of 183 countries Corruption in health care: from planning to supplying… Health Ministry’s response: introduction of reference prices NGOs’ response: monitoring, uncovering corruption, public protests… (Network of PLWH, UCAB, Krona, Anticorruption Center…)
Governance Corruption:Law on Main Principles to Prevent & Combat Corruption Oversight bodies: General Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Security Service. (also – Taxation Police, Customs Service, State Finance Inspection…) There is special Law about fighting organized crime Whistleblower protection: declared in the law about main principles to prevent corruption…
Governance • Access to Information: • Law about access to public information (2011). Each gov’tal body has special unit handling information requests; as a rule, they should answer within 5 days. • In practice, gov’tal bodies do not answer, incomplete answer etc • Law about public procurement: • Key info must be published on state web portal, including: • Announcement about the bid • Bid documentation • Info about all bidders, their proposals, the winner and its proposal, why the winner was chosen etc • Access to PP web portal is free of charge!
CS response and opportunities • Two groups of anti-corruption NGOs: • Lobbying policy changes (like TI Ukraine) (“policy fighters”) • Monitoring, uncovering, making it public, submitting protests (“abuses fighters”) (PLWH, UCAB, Anticorruption Action Center) • Corruption investigations by media – “it is cool”! • Problems: • Just a few “abuses fighters” (PLWH is the leader) • Weak cooperation between NGOs, between NGOs and other sectors (but there is NGO partnership “For fair procurement” • Promising: coalition of NGOs, media, parliamentarians (Anticorruption Center)
CS response and opportunities • What CS need to fight better? • Better work with media • Better work with international journalists • Building CS coalitions around the issue • Creating pool of experts • Balance between policy analysis and abuse uncovering • And also • Resources • Expertise • Be brave and do not stop!
Media • Situation with media in Ukraine: • Journalists are beaten, (but) not killed • Those who beat are not punished • Journalists are not listened to by authorities • Strong tendency – to get journalists imprisoned (diffamation law) • Media is active in uncovering public procurement corruption, including in health care. There are success stories • Media focus: concrete abuses, bribes, deteriorating health care system etc • There is a series of training courses on PP, journalist investigations…