Letter of the staff and students of Odessa National Medical University

Dear Zoryana Stepanivna!

We, the staff and students of Odessa National Medical University, appeal to you to protect our constitutional rights, to protect the University with a 120-year history from destruction. We’ve been knocking on doors all year. You are the first to hear us and take the first step towards resolving the situation around ONMedU. We are grateful for this and are ready to support all constructive steps of your team.

More than a year ago, we disagreed with a violation of the law by the previous heads of the MoH. We did not allow to be deprived of the higher education institution right for autonomy, and we were given the legal right to choose the rector independently. In a lawful manner, which was confirmed by a court decision, the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, the State Treasury Service, we authorized Sukhin Yu.V. to be temporarily acting as the rector until the appointment of the rector, as provided by the law and statute of ONMedU.

The staff, which only defended its rights, its university and the law, received repression in response: threats, provocations, false accusations, public humiliation. Well-known doctors, talented professors and teachers were called «paid thugs» by the Ministry of Health and their work – «cheating». For more than a year, armed gangs have tried to seize the building at least 6 times: they broke down doors, destroyed furniture and appliances, beat teachers and students who came out in defense of their Alma mater. To break the resistance, we were deprived of salaries and scholarships. Eight thousand students, three thousand employees and their families. The MoH officials have endangered their well-being, health and even life. However, we did not kneel and, we assure, we will not. Yes, we are forced to state, attempts to turn the team into serfs do not stop.

On September 24, 2019, representatives of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine M.I. Kachurets and A.V. Semivolos arrived at ONMedU to get acquainted with the problematic issues of ONMedU’s work. The team with the inspiration and hope met A.V. Semivolos as a well-known specialist, an uninvolved and decent person. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about M.I. Kachurets. We know that she was directly involved in the Raiders’ attempts to capture our university. Despite the renewal of the MoH, it continues to embody the criminal policies of Ulyana Suprun and Oleksandr Linchevsky. During the meeting, she repeatedly hinted that she was acting on the side and in the interests of the Raiders Dubinina and Aimedov. It is clear that her aim is to appoint her person as a rector, to put the staff on their knees, to turn people into slaves who have neither the right to vote, nor the right to elect their leader, nor the right to receive a salary for their honest labor. Once again, people are not slaves and will never be, even if the newly minted Deputy Minister really wants it. This approach makes the work of the commission a fiction: they talk to the staff and advise themselves, keeping a single decision.

During a working meeting with the staff and students of the university with the participation of the media, the MoH representatives expressed their unambiguous vision of resolving the situation at ONMedU, namely: all court claims and applications for the lawsuits prohibiting holding a competition for the position of university rector and appointing an a.i. Rector of ONMedU should be withdrawn. Only then the MOH, namely the Minister of Health, will be able to appoint an a.i. Rector till the election of the Rector in the manner prescribed by law.

In the opinion of the staff and students of ONMedU, the aforementioned way of resolving the situation is unacceptable and grossly violates the principle of autonomy and self-government of a higher education institution. In 2018, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine already appointed acting rectors without the consent of the staff and students of the University, namely Aimedov and Dubinina. These individuals were not supported by the staff and in response they did everything to discredit and dispose of the disloyal staff.

In such circumstances, the appointment of the Acting Rector without the agreement and consideration of the opinion of the staff and students of the University, as suggested by Kachurets MI, is inadmissible and will only aggravate the current situation. In this case it is a matter of neglect of the principle of autonomy of a higher education institution, guaranteed to every higher education institution in our country by the Law of Ukraine on Higher Education and complete disregard for the interests of the university staff and students.

We, the representatives of the university staff and students, insist on the following solution to the situation:

1. The MoH of Ukraine performs its duty and approves the budget of ONMedU for 2019 by the signature of a person who, according to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and Individual Entrepreneurs, is the head and signatory of ONMedU – Sukhin Yurii Vitaliyovych
2. Ensure transparent, fair, fair competition and election to replace the post of the Rector of ONMedU in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law. For its part, ONMedU will make every effort to lawfully resolve the issue of cancelling the court injunctions.

Dear Minister, thousands of the staff and students ask you to protect us and ensure the stable functioning of the University. We ask you to take personal control of the situation at ONMedU and make every effort to restore its normal operation and protect it against the unlawful interference by the raiders. We believe in your professionalism and wisdom. We are convinced that the law will prevail.