15 January 2026
(ILLUSTRATION: adobe.com)
Law enforcement officials are investigating a case of overpricing medical test tubes at the Odesa Regional Clinical Hospital. The head of the hospital's logistics department was accused of negligence.
This is evidenced by the ruling of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.
According to the investigation, the procurement took place in May 2024. This purchase included various types of blood collection tubes from several foreign manufacturers from China and Turkey. Under the contract with a private entrepreneur, the hospital paid more than UAH 1.8 million. At the same time, the market price of the same tubes was almost half a million hryvnias lower.
The investigation found that the actual market value of these tubes at the time of purchase was much lower: Thus, due to the improper performance of official duties by the head of the logistics department, the hospital overpaid more than UAH 491 thousand.
The investigation found that the head of the logistics department, who also served as the authorized person to organize procurement, improperly performed his duties. He was supposed to plan purchases, control the market and ensure budgetary savings, but failed to foresee the possible consequences of his actions and approved an overpriced contract. In December 2024, he was dismissed from his position.
On December 22, 2025, investigators notified the suspect of a criminal offense under Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for official negligence.
The court imposed a personal commitment as a measure of restraint on the suspect. The ruling will be valid until March 6, 2026. The investigation is currently ongoing, and law enforcement officers are checking whether there were any similar violations in other hospital procurements.
Also last year, a number of financial violations were recorded in the activities of the Odesa Regional Clinical Medical Center, which were committed during the period of leadership of the CEO Vadym Shukhtin. A comprehensive audit of the medical institution revealed more than UAH 20 million in financial losses, lost revenues, violations in the preservation of property, and failure to comply with the requirements of the National Health Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health.
Анна Бальчінос