Khmelnytskyi City District Court found ophthalmologist Oleksandr Tarambula guilty of committing a criminal offense related to abuse of influence. By the court's decision, he was fined UAH 85,000.
As established in the verdict of February 23, in January 2025, the father of a seven-year-old boy with congenital visual impairments contacted a doctor at the Khmelnytskyi Regional Children's Hospital for advice on the possibility of establishing the status of a person with a disability for his child.
During the conversation, the doctor said that he could help in the preparation of the necessary documents and allegedly influence the management of the institution and members of the medical commission. According to the investigation, he asked for 1,500 US dollars for such actions. In case of refusal, as noted during the meeting, the decision to establish disability could not be made.
A second meeting was held on January 29, during which the doctor confirmed the announced amount. The day after the commission meeting, the child was issued a medical report and an individual rehabilitation program.
On the same day, the doctor received the agreed amount of money in the surgical department's residency room. After handing over the money, he was detained by law enforcement officers.
In court, Oleksandr Tarambula admitted receiving the money, but denied extorting it. He claimed that the money was a voluntary thank-you for the child's treatment and accompanying him to the commission, and stressed that he had no intention of influencing the decisions of the medical commission members.
The court found him guilty under Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (abuse of influence). The verdict can be appealed.
According to open sources, Oleksandr Tarambula received his medical education at Vinnytsia National Medical University named after Pirogov, completed an internship and clinical residency in Ophthalmology, and also received a specialization in pediatric ophthalmology. In 2020, he received a master's degree in management in healthcare institutions.
