Ohmatdyt Director General Suspended Until End of Investigations

Health Minister of Ukraine Viktor Liashko has announced the suspension of Director General of the Ohmatdyt National Specialized Children’s Hospital Volodymyr Zhovnir from office.

“Zhovnir has been suspended from office until the end of inspections carried out by the National Police of Ukraine, other law enforcement agencies, and the Health Ministry’s commission,” he said on the Telegram channel on Saturday.

“We will additionally announce our further decisions, including those related to personnel. In my opinion, a head of department who would get the strongest support among colleagues should become the acting director general. I am holding consultations,” the minister said.

According to him, the facts connected with the restoration of Ohmatdyt’s buildings after the missile strike and the activities of the Charitable Foundation “Ohmatdyt – is Healthy Childhood” are being scrutinized by the National Police, and a pre-trial investigation, an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Health Ministry’s inspection are underway.

“Yesterday, I received the first results of the inspection conducted by the Health Ministry’s commission. Unfortunately, there are cases of distorting the key information that is officially reported to me, the media and is indicated in the documents by both the hospital management and the foundation,” Liashko said.

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The decision to announce a company the winner of the tender for repair work on the damaged hospital building was made by Zhovnir, which was announced to the public on the hospital’s official page. At the same time, according to information that became known during the ministry’s inspection, recommendations on the final selection of the winner from the Ohmatdyt Working Group, approved by the instruction of the director general, were not received.

“Why? This issue remains open and will be investigated by the competent authorities. I would like to note separately that the hospital director proposed raising funds specifically to the Fund’s account after the attack on Ohmatdyt on July 8, citing successful experience of cooperation,” the minister said.

According to him, the Health Ministry is adhering to the previously announced plan, according to which all further processes of Ohmatdyt’s restoration will be supervised by the Restoration Council, which already includes representatives of international organizations and companies that have made the largest donations.

“Today, a meeting will be held to select seven participants from among the public representatives, that is, the Council of 15 people will be finally formed. I ask the Restoration Council to meet this Monday to consider the step-by-step plan for the restoration of Ohmatdyt and provide its recommendations on further actions. Let me remind you that all decisions of the Council are public and are published on the resources of the Health Ministry,” Liashko said.

He also invited the participants of the General Meeting of the Foundation to the meeting to agree on mechanisms for observing open and transparent procedures for using the raised funds under the supervision of the Restoration Council, in particular, the prompt fulfillment of the promise to transfer funds from the Foundation’s account to the hospital’s treasury account to extend the requirements of the legislation on public procurement to them.

“All circumstances must be established. All those responsible must be punished. The hospital must be rebuilt. Everything must happen clearly, transparently, quickly and in line with the law,” the minister said.

As reported, on August 16, Zhovnir said that the Charitable Foundation “Ohmatdyt – is Healthy Childhood,” which raised funds for the restoration of the Ohmatdyt National Specialized Children’s Hospital after the July 8 missile strike, is not planning to transfer the money to the hospital’s accounts.

“The fact that the foundation’s name contains the name of Ohmatdyt was an additional guarantee for donors that the raised funds would be used for their intended purpose and in no way would be used for purposes not connected with the restoration process,” he said.

The head of the hospital stressed that he never had any doubts about the foundation’s honesty, adding that it has always normally cooperated with the hospital. However, after the first public scandals and requests for money transfers, communication with the foundation became worse, he said.

“We are deeply shocked by the decision of the foundation. The name of our hospital is a synonym of responsibility, professionalism and hope. In my opinion, neither the National Specialized Children’s Hospital, nor the foundation which bears the name of Ohmatdyt, have the right to let the Ukrainian society down. However, the members of the foundation (among whom there is not a single employee of the National Specialized Children’s Hospital!) made a different decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Charitable Foundation “Ohmatdyt – is Healthy Childhood” said in its official statement that all the funds raised for the restoration of Ohmatdyt will remain on its accounts.

“The key point is that all funds raised for the restoration of Ohmatdyt after July 8 will remain on the account of the Ohmatdyt – is Healthy Childhood foundation. The foundation is ready to pay for any urgent need of the hospital: medical equipment or restoration of the buildings damaged in the Russian attack. However, we have not received from the Ohmatdyt hospital any letter on any targeted need during all this time,” it said on Friday.

Representatives of the foundation also asked the hospital to provide legal grounds for making transfers to the treasury accounts without any indicated purpose.