The Medical Procurement of Ukraine (MPU) has entered into an agreement to procure 15 innovative Elekta Harmony linear accelerator systems with record-breaking cost-saving.
The total cost of the acquired equipment is 541 million UAH, with an expected cost of over 1 billion UAH. Thanks to effective work with the market and quality communication with suppliers, the MPU managed to save 482 million UAH, which is 47% of the budgeted amount.
Linear accelerators are highly expensive and innovative equipment used for the treatment of oncological diseases. This is the first centralized procurement of such a large quantity using state budget funds.
These systems allow for the use of X-ray or gamma radiation to directly target cancer cells or tumors within a patient's internal organs, destroying them or halting their growth while attempting to minimize damage to healthy tissues. As a result, the treatment of advanced stages of cancer can occur without surgical intervention and with greater effectiveness.
Initially, the linear accelerator systems will be distributed in the following regions: Sumy, Rivne, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kherson, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, Odesa, Kirovohrad, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
The funds saved through the procurement process will be allocated for the additional purchase of essential and innovative equipment. This includes additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and linear accelerator systems.
"The hero policy in the medical field is not only about trauma or rehabilitation. It also encompasses diseases with increasing prevalence, affecting younger age groups, as a consequence of the full-scale war unleashed by russia. Unfortunately, these challenges will be with us for years to come, including oncology. That's why we are working to ensure that Ukrainian patients have access to high-quality modern treatment and diagnostics.
This is why the procurement of 15 innovative linear accelerator systems for oncology centers is another step in this direction. Despite the war, the Ministry of Health, together with its partners, is striving to ensure that quality, accessible, and free medical care is available to everyone in need," said Viktor Liashko, the Minister of Health of Ukraine.
"The successful procurement of linear accelerators demonstrates that Ukraine has reached a qualitatively new level in meeting the needs of patients. This is about a procedure with the highest expected cost in the history of the MPU. Despite all the challenges, we have managed to provide the needs of cancer patients with innovative equipment at the state level. Thanks to the linear accelerators acquired by the MPU, doctors will be able to provide precise, effective, and personalized treatment for cancerous tumors with minimal side effects for patients," added Edem Adamanov, the General Manager of the MPU.