Cutting-edge equipment to diagnose and treat cancer including a new-generation tomograph and mammograph as well as a cyber knife and a linear accelerator will appear in Ukraine soon. The country hasn't had the facilities so far – just 20 outdated devices. For this reason, Ukrainians had to go to Western Europe for treatment. The new equipment diagnoses diseases on molecular and cell level making the results more accurate, while the treatment process kills sick tissue without affecting healthy segments.

It is Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation for Development of Ukraine that will grant the gift to Ukrainians with cancer. Over 900,000 people have this disease today in Ukraine and every year adds another 160,000. The Foundation will provide $40m (compare with UAH 30m allocated by the government on cancer programs annually).

Every year 90,000 die of cancer in Ukraine. The new facilities will help cut the mortality by 10%. The Foundation will maintain the equipment and train personnel to use it. The benefactors can't tell at the moment how many lives will be saved with help of the new devices. But it is evident that the amount will cover 6-year cancer-related expenses of the Ministry of Public Health. Patients will not pay anything for treatment.

The Foundation will announce the tender to purchase the equipment soon. Requests will be received from doctors of Kiev and two regions – Western Ukraine and Donetsk Region. The Foundation promises to make the tender as transparent as possible. "Where one dollar needs to be paid, we will pay just one dollar and nothing more", commented Rinat Akhmetov.

Segodnya.ua
Publication date and time: Thursday, 10 July, 2008 18:32