Eastern Europe/ Russia News Briefs

- The Ukraine Health Minister, Andrei Serdyuk, has called for reform of the health service through "widening the scope of intensive therapy" and introducing services for which patients pay. Speaking in parliament, he noted that six million out of 52 million Ukrainians suffer from cardiovascular diseases, while over one million others suffer from different psychopathies. The parliament has meanwhile asked the Minister to introduce health charges - "a new health care" - and it has been announced that the government is to invest more in health services.

- Russia's pharmaceutical industry has increased metamizole production by 104.8% and validil by 109.3% in the first seven months of 1996. Production volumes of metamizole in ampoules, together with papaverine, packed nitroglycerin and ampicillin, were reduced.