KIEV, November 9 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) will convene on Monday to discuss a flu epidemic that has killed at least 144 people in the country, a senior presidential official said.

Ihor Popov, deputy chief of the presidential staff and presidential representative in Ukraine's parliament, said the NSDC would consider declaring a state of emergency, which could delay the presidential polls scheduled on January 17, 2010 until May.

However, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Saturday she saw no need to declare a state of emergency in the country over a flu epidemic.

Popov also said the country was handling the situation well enough and there was no need for a state of emergency.

The Ukrainian government imposed quarantine in nine western provinces in late October in an attempt to curb the spread of flu.

All education establishments in Kiev were closed, and people were obliged to wear medical masks in all catering establishments, shops and social services facilities across the former Soviet republic.

The Ukrainian Health Ministry said on Monday 255,000 flu cases had been registered in the country, with some 15,000 people receiving treatment in hospital.

The Health Ministry has confirmed the death of 14 people from swine flu and 32 swine flu cases in the country.