KIEV, Nov. 11 – The government’s efforts to fight the swine flu will come to a standstill soon unless the National Bank of Ukraine immediately disburses one billion hryvnias, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said Wednesday.

Tymoshenko accused President Viktor Yushchenko of blocking the legislation that calls for the central bank to print the money needed for purchasing medical equipment and medicines.

“We cannot conclude a single contract until the legislation is signed and the government receives needed financial resources,” Tymoshenko said. “We cannot fight the epidemic.”

“The president now bears personal responsibility for every person that gets sick or dies,” Tymoshenko said.

The attack comes as Yushchenko has accused Tymoshenko of overreacting to the flu outbreak for political reasons, and indicated that the government should borrow or cut other spending to come up with funds instead of relying on money printing.

“Do not blackmail me,” Yushchenko said. “I have the president’s right [to veto the legislation] and I will use it.”

“The prime minister, by misleading the society, is submitting a bill that calls for taking one billion hryvnias from the NBU,” Yushchenko said. “But we have to tell the truth: to go for [monetary] emission means to officially declare that we begin further devaluation of the national currency.”

The hryvnia lost more than 50% of its value against the U.S. dollar over the past 12 months as Ukrainian steel exports had plummeted in reaction to collapsing global demand caused by the credit crunch.

At least 213 people died from flu-like illnesses in Ukraine over the past three weeks with 1.19 million getting sick, according to the Healthcare Ministry. At least 62,000 people are hospitalized with 350 undergoing intensive care, the ministry said.

The legislation, which was backed by 401 lawmakers in the 450-seat legislature on November 3, called for the funds to be provided by the NBU, the measure that essentially amounts to money printing.

The president has two weeks to either sign the bill or to veto it. (tl/ez)