The high incidence of COVID-19 among health workers is due to the fact that the medical system of Ukraine was not ready for the epidemic. The Minister of Health of Ukraine Maksym Stepanov stated this on air of the program "Svoboda Slova" (Freedom of Speech) on the ICTV channel.

"I would like to express deep gratitude to our doctors who have been at the forefront of the fight against the virus. Unfortunately, about 20% of all coronavirus infected, ie 4,111 healthcare personnel, contracted coronavirus. This was due to the fact that at the beginning of the epidemic our hospitals were not ready for such a challenge. We had no personal protective equipment, no respirators, no masks. We were lacking the planned routes for bringing patients. Where the patient should be brought was already determined in the midst of the epidemic. This is a big problem, but we have analyzed it and built our steps on the basis of the conclusions made," the Minister said.

He also noted that in addition to providing doctors with all the necessary means, it is also critical to provide a 3-month supply of personal protective equipment used by physicians in the process of treatment of infectious diseases.

"We are now calculating the amount of money needed for that purpose. And all the reserve should be available immediately and directly in hospitals", Maxym Stepanov emphasized.