As Andriy Sadovy’s Facebook page notes
Sadovy on the situation with Nazar Husakov: the patient received expensive treatment at the expense of the budget, but continued to raise funds
Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy has published details of the story of Lviv resident Nazar Husakov, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and, despite receiving free treatment, continued to publicly raise funds.
In 2023, the Lviv City Council concluded a memorandum with Roche Ukraine, which produces a drug for the treatment of SMA – Evrisdi. According to the agreements, the city purchased part of the medicine, and the manufacturer doubled each package for free.
In June 2024, Gusakov became the first adult Lviv resident to receive Evrisdi free of charge. According to the mayor, Nazar’s treatment is financed by the city and state budgets, as well as the manufacturer itself. He receives three vials of the drug every month, according to the conclusions of specialists from the Institute of Hereditary Pathology.
When Gusakov reported the need to increase the dose due to worsening health, he was offered a second examination. The examination has not yet been conducted, but, according to Sadovy, the patient promised to undergo it upon returning to Lviv.
“When we started providing the boy with medication, we hoped that he would stop collecting funds,” Sadovy wrote. However, the collections were resumed. Gusakov explained that he needs additional support — in particular, for physical rehabilitation and massages, which are not included in the state medical guarantee program.
The head of the city emphasized that the Lviv SMA treatment program is unique in Ukraine. It has already covered two adult patients. The program will last until the end of 2026, with plans for its further extension.
Sadovy warned: the situation around Gusakov could hurt trust in charitable initiatives. “Treatment of SMA is very expensive – about 800 thousand hryvnias per month. And programs like those in Lviv are rare. We have no right to lose faith in goodness. But at the same time, accountability and transparency are a duty,” he concluded.
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