"We're taking money from children": A dispute over 38 million broke out in Odesa

Odessa city council members proposed not to divert 38.3 million hryvnias from funding for specialized children’s homes.

This was discussed on September 7 during a meeting of the Odessa City Council’s Standing Committee on Health Care; a transcript of the online broadcast was released following the meeting.

The issue concerns amendments to the city’s“Health” target program for 2024–2029. The Department of Health proposed reducing funding by 38.3 million hryvnias for the program aimed at providing medical care to orphans and children deprived of parental care in specialized children’s homes.

The department explained that in 2026, the children’s homes entered into contracts with the National Health Service of Ukraine and receive funds from the NHSU, including for salaries. Therefore, it was proposed to reallocate city funds previously earmarked for salaries to other healthcare facilities.

However, city council members questioned this decision. In particular, during the discussion, concerns were raised that healthcare facilities might not receive all the allocated funds from the NHSU on time. Council members also sought precise information regarding the remaining funds at children’s homes and their actual payroll expenditures.

One of the deputies stated that 38.3 million hryvnias should be held back until it is clear whether the National Health Service of Ukraine’s funding for these institutions will be sufficient through the end of the year. She also emphasized the need to support children living in orphanages and drew attention to the issue of children who are placed in such facilities but do not yet have the status of orphans or children deprived of parental care.

During the discussion, the deputies asked the department to provide more detailed information about the financial status of the institutions. They also proposed inviting their directors to a separate meeting.

As a result, the committee unanimously supported the proposal not to remove 38.3 million hryvnias from the relevant program measure. Following this, the amendments to the program were approved in their entirety.

During the same session, council members raised the issue of 20.6 million hryvnias allocated for the maintenance of medical commissions and the conduct of medical examinations.

One of the deputies questioned the appropriateness of funding these expenses through the city program, noting that these services have been funded by the National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) for several years now. In his opinion, city funds could be directed toward the purchase of new equipment or other forms of assistance for residents.

He also drew attention to the funds allocated for employee payments, specifically severance pay resulting from the restructuring of municipal non-profit enterprises. The council member stated that city officials had previously assured them that the reorganization would not result in budget losses, yet the city is now allocating funds for such payments.

The Department of Health explained the need for the reform by noting that some of the city’s medical facilities are not part of the accredited network or are unable to receive funding under certain National Health Service of Ukraine (NSZU) packages. According to a department representative, the reorganization is intended to create conditions for these facilities to receive more funding in 2027.

During the session, council members also considered the reorganization of a number of municipal healthcare facilities, the approval of their charters, and the issue of debt owed by certain enterprises. In particular, one of the deputies spoke about the tax debts of City Hospital No. 5 and the psychiatric clinic, estimating them at approximately 9–10 million hryvnias, and raised the question of whether the reorganization could be completed before the legal disputes are finally resolved.

The commission also considered citizens’ appeals regarding treatment with the drug pembrolizumab. 

Андрій Колісніченко