By Nina Rykova

The sign was not at all accidental. A legendary surgeon-rescuer and the Hero of Ukraine Hrihoriy Bondar (showing no emotions in public) suddenly said to hundreds of his colleagues and journalists “I’ve worked her so long but seen this for the first time ever!”.

The cancer doctor shared his feelings on the occasion of arrival of Rinat Akhmetov to Donetsk Cancer Center. And not because the world-known physician has never seen oligarchs before. It’s just the opposite in actual life with oligarchs asking (!) to be examined by Mr Bondar. Financial well-being of the heaven-wealthy fades away and craves for the exceptional hands of this surgeon to give hope and save. However, reserved Bondar apparently can be amazed too.

“I am happy to have lived to see it”, he says deeply touched speaking about importance of the fact that charitable program “Cancer can be cured” was established in Ukraine. The professor was invited to the presentation in Kiev Cancer Institute on 10 July. Program initiator – Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine – outlined its ambitious strategy to fight for lives of the doomed Ukrainians. Bondar revealed dreadful truth about cancer in Ukraine. No presentation delegate had any doubts that there is no alternative for anyone. The disaster can suddenly bring your peace and happiness down. Hoping for your destiny to save you is thoughtless. The wisest and boldest decision, as cancer specialists say, is to get to know the truth. On time. But what about the major problem? Where can you find a careful medical examination to ensure the modern diagnostics to deliver treatment effect?

Donetk Region has a special cancer label. Reasons are numerous; the result is one – high morbidity and mortality. This leadership disclosed the depth and national reach of cancer to idea authors. This reason encouraged the Foundation for Development of Ukraine to develop a broad program expected to provide modern diagnostic facilities to medical institutions in the country. Rinat Akhmetov personally attended the presentation in Kiev and said UAH 200m would be spent to meet the goal (to equip cancer hospitals in Kiev, Donetsk, and Western Ukraine).

The first million has been “in work” for a month. Unrivalled laboratory equipment appeared a couple of weeks ago in the biggest medical center of Donetsk Region – DOKTMO.

The second step – towards the cancer “facility”, in particular Donetsk Tumor Center – was made by President of the Foundation Rinat Akhmetov. He met doctors to reveal that his Foundation for Development of Ukraine decided to create a modern hospital on the basis of the Center.

Expert cost estimate required dramatic changes in the program budget. “I asked one question “What should be done to make the Center meet the best European standards?” They gave me a list of problems. Over 40 of them. All are very much urgent”, he said at the meeting yesterday. “They all need to be tackled at the same time. Another UAH 115m is required. I would like to say that I’ve decided to provide the additional funds. I don't like delays. A human life is behind each problem”.

The news has amazed doctors, and professor Bondar couldn’t hide his surprise – “we’ve dreamt so much and it’s come true!” The Foundation for Development of Ukraine announced its UAH-50m-donation to Donetsk Tumor Center a month ago. Additional UAH 115m will be spent to reequip and reconstruct the Center. A [ositron emission tomography scanner (PET/CT), a laboratory for production of radiology pharmaceuticals, a gamma-camera, and a cyber-knife will be commissioned in a year. Besides, the Foundation is going to overhaul center rooms, lines of communications, and roads, develop the land, reequip the out-patient hospital, improve living conditions for patients, buy medical vehicles, organize meals for patients, and ensure good working conditions for medical workers.

The doctors also heard a promise of the president to provide modern equipment for diagnostics and treatment to another five cancer dispensaries in Donetsk Region and four cancer departments in city and district hospitals in the oblast. “I promise that I will reach every cancer dispensary and cancer department in the region and create the most modern and favourable conditions for effective work”, stated Rinat Akhmetov.

So, the Foundation for Development of Ukraine doubles financial backing of the fight against cancer in Donetsk Region.

Mr Akhmetov has his case ready for sceptics. Speaking about control over his charitable millions, he shared: "I'll tell you straight away. Don't forget that I understand cost price, expenditure, and business. We say publicly what we will be giving and doing. And, here you are – public control. Each figure will be discussed in public. We will control everything, each cent will be used for its intended purpose".

The foundation president appears to be aware of how challenging the problem is. He said that Donetsk Region has 98,116 officially registered cancer patients. And every year adds another 15,000. Last year alone 9,280 died of cancer. Following talks with professor Bondar and his peers in cancer area, the businessmen-benefactor developed the concept: "I’ve asked the cancer doctors a hundred times – is cancer a final verdict or not? And a hundred times did they answer convincingly – cancer is not a final verdict. Cancer is a disease people can and must fight against. Cancer is a disease people can and must overcome". This is the goal he set to the foundation.

At the same time, the government seems to have surrendered to the cancer danger long ago. The national budget has allocated only UAH 30m on purchase of new equipment. "And this is it for the whole country”, the businessman couldn't hide his indignation. "Sorry for comparison, but the money is not enough to treat cold let alone cancer".

Another logical state question arises after this tirade – what is the point in having the Ministry of Public Health. I asked the FDU president whether his multimillion charity can be systematic if the laws of Ukraine "kill" all prospects of the national medicine to survive and develop? For example, Donetsk Tumour Center has created many exceptional treatment methods during many years of operation and has dozens of inventions. This intellectual property of Donetsk doctors is much demanded by international hospitals. Alas, Ukrainian laws don’t allow the Center to use these resources and make money for existence (let alone development). I asked MP Rinat Akhmetov about his intentions (together with his peers from the Party of Regions) to ensure legislative framework for reformation of the public health in Ukraine. Because otherwise, the operation of the Foundation comes to "filling in holes", even if with generous millions.

"I'm not filling in holes", said the MP with annoyance. "I put my soul in charity. But the governmental approach to medical problems needs changes. The appropriate committee in the parliament is headed on behalf of our faction by Tatyana Bakhteyeva. She developed several bills. Supporting the initiatives by other factions is important. Changes will emerge then".

Yet the changes from the state perspective are vague. It is not known whether the parliament will work in autumn and what the debate on redistribution of state funding between ministries will bring. Hundreds of thousands of seriously ill Ukrainians will hardly manage to wait until the budget provides money to save their lives (a treatment course for a cancer patient amounts to tens of thousands of hryvnas). What do they do? What for benefactors? Regrettably, only Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation for Development of Ukraine has been committed to attack cancer financially. Other Ukrainian oligarchs are guided by other ambitions.

Profile by 2000
On 10 July 2008 President of the Foundation for Development of Ukraine Rinat Akhmetov initiated launch of national project "Cancer Can Be Cured. Timely Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment in Ukraine". The project envisages the Foundation to buy unrivalled equipment for cancer battling that is unmatched in Ukraine and to finance overhaul of Donetsk Tumour Center.

The project budget totals UAH 315m. UAH 215m will be spent on buying a positron emission tomography (PET/CT) facility, a gamma camera, and a cyber knife for Donetsk Cancer Service, overhauling and equipping of Donetsk Tumour Center as well as regional and municipal cancer establishments. The PET and gamma camera will significantly improve the quality of cancer diagnostics. The cyber knife is intended to help perform successful treatment of different tumour types (cancer tumours, first of all) without operations, pain, in the out-patient treatment mode, and without traditional rehabilitation treatment.

A new radiation centre with another PET facility, and new diagnostic and treatment equipment will be established in the Kyiv National Institute of Cancer. The Foundation for Development of Ukraine has allocated UAH 50m to meet the goal, while another UAH 50m will be spent to fight cancer in the Western Ukraine. The general meeting attended by representatives of cancer in-patient hospitals from eight oblasts in Western Ukraine decided to enhance cancer treatment services in the West through purchasing up-to-date radiology equipment for each center.
The equipment is planned to be purchased within a year. The project implementation timeline comes to two years.

www.2000.net.ua
20 August, 2008 09:40