Kyiv court reinstates health minister after canceling own ruling

The Kyiv district court that decided last week to
temporarily remove Ulana Suprun as Acting Health Minister ruled on Feb. 14 to overturn
its decision and reinstate her. The judge said his reversal was based on a Feb.
13 order by the Cabinet of Ministers, the pravda.com.ua news site reported.
“This order is a consolidated decision by the government that allows for
unblocking the most critical issues of the ministry’s work,” the text of the
order said. “This exceptional step by the Cabinet of Ministers is a response to
the work of the Health Ministry being blocked by the ruling of the Kyiv
district administrative court.”

The cabinet’s order enables Suprun to approve further
distributions of vaccines and medicine, dispatching 44 Ukrainians for treatment
abroad, continuing the process of building a central children’s hospital in
Kyiv, buying medical equipment, and other decisions that need immediate
approval, pravda.com.ua reported, citing the Health Ministry. The necessary
documents will be signed in the nearest future.

Zenon Zawada: Suprun was
able to return to her post because of the support of the cabinet, which itself
admitted that it took an unusual step in order to allow for important work to
be completed. It’s also unusual for a court to reverse its own ruling so
quickly. So we expect Suprun will be the target of more attempts to remove her.
Suprun and her policies will also remain a central political issue through the
October parliamentary elections, with pro-Western parties defending her.