The Mayor of Lviv, Andrii Sadovyi, has reached out to diplomatic institutions with inquiries regarding the circumstances of Nazar Husakov’s treatment. He initiated official requests to the embassies of Ukraine in Italy and Italy in Ukraine, as, according to him, Husakov is currently in Italy, where his mother resides. The mayor notes that it is important to confirm whether Husakov is receiving additional assistance from Italian state authorities or municipalities.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Issues of Transparency in Fundraising and Treatment Allocation
Sadovyi also contacted the pharmaceutical company Roche, which produces the necessary medication, to obtain information about any possible applications Husakov may have made to other international support programs. The mayor admitted that until recently he was unaware of the scale of fundraising for Husakov’s treatment. When it became known that it involved multimillion sums, it raised his concerns.
“Given the significant resonance, I made official requests to the Ukrainian embassy in Italy and the Italian embassy in Ukraine because he, as far as I know, is currently in Italy since his mother lives there. If he is possibly receiving additional assistance from Italian state authorities or municipalities, that would probably be unfair. I want to know this information. I also want to know information from Roche, the company that produces this medication. Perhaps in other countries, Nazar has sought such assistance,” Sadovyi reported.
According to Sadovyi, the city of Lviv financed the purchase of expensive medications for Husakov and another patient. Husakov is expected to receive another dose of the medication soon.
Response from Authorities and Law Enforcement
The mayor noted that after receiving information about a possible shortage of prescribed medications, he personally contacted Husakov. The patient agreed to undergo additional examinations to review the dosage and remains a candidate for the city’s assistance program.
Sadovyi emphasized the importance of transparency in fundraising and called for any additional information regarding the expenses and revenues of charitable contributions to be provided to the administration. He stressed that the city is ready to cooperate with law enforcement and journalists to uncover the truth.
The National Police reported the opening of two criminal proceedings related to fundraising for Husakov’s treatment. Information about possible misuse of the collected funds surfaced in the media after a man suffering from spinal muscular atrophy was accused of the opaque use of donations. Husakov himself stated that he did not mix personal funds with donations he received for treatment. The Mayor of Lviv clarified that since June of last year, Husakov has been receiving the medication “Evrisyde” funded by the city budget.