Ukraine’s Health Ministry starts preparing for public procurement in 2019: draft proposals for procurement nomenclatures submitted for public discussions

Since 2016, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has been making every effort to speed up the centralized public procurement processes in the health sector. This year, the development of public procurement nomenclatures (lists of procurement items or lots) for 2019 started three months earlier, compared to the previous year. Ensuring timely preparation and submission of the procurement nomenclatures is the key to developing effective procurement plans and schedules.

The Ministry has already developed the three proposals for nomenclatures (lists) of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and equipment, other healthcare products and services that are to be procured by specialized procurement agencies and international organizations under relevant agreements for the state budget funds of 2019 under Budget Program 2301400 "On Support of Healthcare Measures under Separate State Programs and Complex Measures of the Program Nature". The three draft nomenclatures have been published on the Ministry’s website (in Ukrainian only) and submitted for public discussion.

The development of these nomenclatures is the first step in the public procurement cycle. After approval, these lists will become the basis of procurement specifications for specialized organizations and agencies, which will undertake the procurement, delivery and distribution of the specified products.

In 2015, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine addressed international organizations, including UNDP, UNICEF and Crown Agents, requesting support in public procurement in the health sector. Since then, these organizations have been procuring a range of medicines and healthcare products for the state budget funds as an emergency measure, and supporting the Ministry in developing a cost-efficient, transparent and timely procurement by promoting the implementation of effective anti-corruption practices and secure payment mechanisms, as well as the rational use of public funds.