President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting on the course of COVID-19 vaccination and the readiness of the medical system in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. The meeting was attended by Head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration Andriy Boychuk, Head of the the Nadvirna United Territorial Community Zinoviy Andriyovych and public figure Vasyl Virastyuk, who is a candidate in the 87th single-member district.
The Head of State inquired about the situation with vaccination in the region, as well as the level of awareness of local residents about the importance of vaccination.
"The vaccine is a real way to the rescue, because no matter how much we deploy extra beds and provide oxygen, it will not affect the situation in medical institutions. We can't do without the vaccine," said the Head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration.
It was noted that the Nadvirna district has the largest number of vaccinated people in the region.
Vasyl Virastyuk reminded that even during the January intensification of quarantine measures in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, there was a tendency to the increase in the COVID-19 incidence. Among the most probable reasons are the high activity of the local population during the New Year and Christmas holidays and a significant number of tourists who visited the region at the same time.
"Fortunately, the quarantine measures introduced by the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration and the government have proved to be effective, and now we see a tendency to the reduction in the morbidity and the burden on the medical system," said Vasyl Virastyuk.
"I'm glad that now people are starting to get vaccinated. We need to increase the pace of vaccination," the President stressed.
Vasyl Virastyuk also raised the issue of compensation for small businesses and micro-businesses, which entrepreneurs suffered as a result of increased quarantine. He noted that the restrictions have hit business hard in the region, especially SMEs, trade sector.
"It is gratifying to hear that a good dialogue has already been established between active representatives of small business and the regional state administration. We are jointly searching for solutions that will minimize losses," Vasyl Virastyuk added.
The Head of State replied that the government had already initiated payments of 8,000 hryvnias from the state budget to small entrepreneurs, and that local authorities could add funds from the local budget if they wished.
The President also inquired about the course of flood prevention works in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. Andriy Boychuk thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyy for coming during the floods last year. He said enough money had been allocated to deal with the effects of the floods. However, there is still a lot of work ahead, especially when it comes to the concept of flood prevention. Andriy Boychuk added that the criteria of approaches to the problem of floods are changing in the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration.
"If earlier the problem of floods was dealt with only ex post, the consequences were eliminated, today we are developing criteria that will allow us to carry out preventive activities in the future," he said.
Head of the Nadvirna UTC Zinoviy Andriyovych asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide the hub hospital with medical transport. The Head of State noted that the given issue would be resolved.