Odesa City Hall Explains Why Head of Health Department Was Dismissed

Levon Nikoghosyan, Director of the Health Department of the Odesa City Council, was dismissed by agreement of the parties.

The announcement was madeby the press service of the Odesa City Council.

The order states that Levon Nikoghosyan ceased to head the department on November 17. The reason for the dismissal was the head of the department's own statement. Earlier, journalist Iryna Hryb reported on the possible dismissal of the official.

Levon Nikoghosyan has been the head of the Odesa City Health Department since 2021, after he was appointed to this position to replace Olena Yakymenko. Previously, he managed the municipal enterprise Odesa Pharm and served as the President of the Association of Pharmacists of Odesa Region.

While leading Odesa Pharm, the official was at the center of a public scandal: during the COVID-19 pandemic, the chain's pharmacies sold medical masks at inflated prices and later distributed them for free as part of the election campaign. He is also a deputy of the Odesa City Council from the "Trust the Deeds" party, which was previously headed by former mayor Hennadii Trukhanov.

Also, the acting director of the Finance Department of the Odesa City Council, Andriy Zarytskyi, was dismissed from his post. The decision was made on the basis of the official's statement, which he submitted during a staff meeting with the head of the Odesa City Military Administration, Serhiy Lysak, on November 3.

Andriy Zarytskyi has held this position since the summer of 2024, when Trukhanov was still the mayor of the city. He began his professional career in 1997 and has many years of experience in municipal services, including five years of work at Odesskielectrotrans, and since 2004 he has held various positions at the State Tax Service of Ukraine.

Кирило Бойко