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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
🚫 The Ministry of Health recorded violations, but Smirnov is running again for rector of Luhansk Medical University
16 In October, elections for rector are to be held at the relocated Luhansk State Medical University, now in Rivne. The main candidates are the former head, Serhiy Smirnov, and his prorector, Oleksandr Pompii. Both represent the same management team, which calls into question the real competitiveness of the race.
Smirnov’s contract with the university ended in 16 September. During the competition, the duties of the head are being performed by Yevhen Verbytskyi. Smirnov led the institution since 2021, including during the second relocation from Rubizhne to Rivne after the start of the full-scale war.
In June the Ministry of Health launched an audit of the university’s activities for 2022–202 based on order No. 795 dated 12 June. Commission report No. SZ-4629/08.0 dated 24 July documented violations of the law, the institution’s charter, and the terms of the rector’s contract. The commission recommended considering termination of Smirnov’s contract, forwarding materials to law enforcement agencies, and notifying anti-corruption bodies about violations by the prorectors.
Smirnov appealed the audit in court. On 6 August, the Dnipropetrovsk District Administrative Court temporarily prohibited the Ministry of Health from terminating or changing his contract on the basis of materials from this audit until the case is considered on the merits. At the same time, the findings of the report remain in force, and the ministry has not publicly explained which specific violations were remedied and how they were taken into account during the competitive procedure.
Questions also arise about the candidate’s scientific credentials. The university’s website states that Smirnov is the author of about 160 scientific works and three monographs and holds two doctoral degrees. However, whistleblowers demand public confirmation of at least ten proper professional publications and information about three trained researchers who meet the competition’s requirements.
Health Minister Viktor Liashko previously said he was working on the situation at the university. However, ahead of the elections there is no clear public answer from the ministry: whether the conclusions of its own audit were taken into account when admitting candidates, who has been held accountable, and what measures have been taken to prevent a recurrence of violations. Meetings of members of Smirnov’s team in the minister’s office, including with the participation of Masi Naem, also remain without an official comment regarding their influence on the competition.
At the same time, the media published investigations into the use of EU grants (over one million euros in 2019–2024), nontransparent procurements, and certain property transactions of the university. The university and the rector did not respond to most inquiries. The Ministry of Health also did not provide detailed explanations regarding these materials.
If, after the audit report recommending termination of the contract and forwarding materials to law enforcement, the former administration returns to office without a public report on the remediation of violations, it will raise questions not only about Smirnov but also about the ministry itself. The elections on 16 October will show how much the results of the Ministry of Health’s own audit influence personnel decisions at the relocated university.
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