My first stop in Krivy Rog was at City Hospital #3. In the fall of 2007, parts of three containers that had been shipped into Kyiv were transported into Krivy Rog and distributed to various hospitals in the area. I am responsible for visiting and gathering report data and then sending it to Washington as follow-up to the shipments. Some of the details communicated in this report are in the report sent to Washington but there are some points from my visit that I think will be appreciated by Christians as they look with Christ’s compassion.

Skoleba made arrangements for my visit and took me to the hospital. The first meeting was with Igor Vladimirovich, Director of the hospital. Dr. Igor took three hours to meet with me and to take me on a personal tour of all divisions within his hospital. He showed me the broken equipment that the doctors are expected to use to diagnose and treat every imaginable disease. He showed me the broken beds and stained mattresses that the patients have no choice but to lie upon as they are treated. This is the central hospital of the entire city. It occupies a very important place in the medical treatment. One would expect to find such a medical facility to be in “tip-top” condition but a personal visit brought shock at the conditions that the doctors have no choice but to work in and the patients have no choice but to accept. One of the greatest needs in this hospital is “manual functional hospital beds” and basic medical supplies.

City Hospital #3 is located in the center of Krivy Rog and consequently has the greatest patient load of any hospital in the city. Hospital #3 is to address the medical need of an immediate population of 80,000 city residents. In its polyclinic, 60,000 patients each year are treated. The “polyclinic” is the healthcare services that are provided for diagnostic and treatments of the all-encompassing needs for various health issues that arise within a large population area (anything from a child’s broken bone to the treatment of those suffering from the Chernobyl catastrophe). The patient load is tremendous and there exists urgent needs for help with any medical supplies and equipment. One of the major emphases of City Hospital #3 is the treatment of endocrinological illnesses. The Chernobyl disaster has resulted in many thyroid problems. Over 300 thyroid surgeries are performed each year. City Hospital #3 has 340 beds available to patients. These “beds” are not the general hospital beds usually thought of in connection with a medical facility. The majority of the “beds” provided are basically iron beds with steel springs and a thin cotton mattress.

There are only a precious few of the functional hospital beds and these were received by humanitarian aid shipments. These 340 beds are allocated for the various medical divisions within City Hospital #3 in this order:

• 80 beds are in the surgical department
• 80 beds are in the endocrinology department
• 60 beds are in the neurology department
• 90 beds are in the therapeutical department (general diseases)
• 30 beds are in the rehabilitation center which includes treatment for Chernobyl victims

The basic building structure of City Hospital #3 was built in 1934 when Joseph Stalin was the Chairman of the Communist Party. There is renovation on-going of the facility because water pipes became frozen in the harsh winter and burst and resulted in the majority of the older structure being ruined. The building is being renovated by the doctors and medical personnel of the hospital on their days off of work. Some of the repairs are being contracted out but there are simply no funds available to pay for this work so the doctors and nurses are doing the work. The devotion and dedication of these medical professionals to their work and patients is really heroic. They are working in a physical structure that was built in 1934; they work with equipment that has been patched and repaired for decades; they do not have even the basic medical supplies that are found in any home’s medicine cabinet—BUT they are at work, helping heal those sick and comfort those diseased and then they are swinging hammers and paint brushes during their off-hours and off-days. And every one of them will greet you with a genuine smile!

Hospital #3 has a staff of 500 including all doctors, nurses, maintenance and administrative personnel. The caseload for the medical professionals and the maintenance demands are overwhelming.

City Hospital #3 received from our containers a number of items but they listed these items as being used the most for the benefit of their patients and as helping them to perform their professional duties:

• Manual functional hospital beds
• Wheelchairs/walkers (from the Columbus MS container!)
• Potty Chairs
• Hospital Linens
• They also received a good amount of orthopedic supplies that were greatly needed.

In talking with Dr. Igor he pointed out that City Hospital #3 has four specific projects for 2008 and has asked our assistance in helping them to accomplish these projects.

1. The first project is to complete the repair and remodeling of a wing of the 1934 building so that a HOSPICE UNIT can be started in the city. This project will require a great amount of supplies that the hospital cannot purchase (adult diapers; food supplements; linens; beds; potty chairs, etc.). The hospice concept is brand new in Ukraine and this will be the second place for it to be implemented.

2. The second project is to increase the number of family doctors that go out into the community and work in remote clinics to treat the populace that is unable to travel to the main hospital. They have already found facilities for these remote clinics but need help in renovating and furnishing the clinics so they will be adequate in offering medical help to those vulnerable.

3. The third project is to install a laparoscopic surgical unit in the hospital.

4. The fourth project is to improve the diagnostic equipment in the hospital. There is a great need for better diagnostic equipment in order to treat the neurological and Chernobyl victims. In the early 1990’s the hospital received an ultrasound machine though Chernobyl funds but that diagnostic equipment was broken and cannot be repaired. They have recently received a colonoscopy diagnostic machine by working with the Minister of Extraordinary Circumstances.

The basic request that Dr. Igor made is that we help to provide City Hospital #3 with basic medical supplies that are needed in every department. The hospital does not have funds to purchase these.

Professional exchanges…

There was also a great interest expressed in our having medical professionals come to Krivy Rog and exchange ideas and share knowledge and techniques with the medical staff at City Hospital #3. There was especially a great desire that we persuade those in the neurological and endocrinology fields to come and visit and share with the hospital.

The right opportunity for right now…

The hospital is doing the best it can to replace mattresses on the beds. They have been replacing mattresses and lack 150-175 more. I asked them how much they can buy mattresses for through the hospital purchasing and they told me the mattresses they are buying to replace the old mattresses cost $15.00 each and are a good quality and suitable for a hospital. I told Dr. Igor that I believed Christians could make sure these remaining 150-175 mattresses would be replaced with a new, hospital quality mattress.

I know that some reading these reports may be interested in helping these people in Ukraine, especially those needing basic medical needs and beds.  Please look at the hospital beds and the mattresses that patients are lying on in City Hospital #3. If you are able, please join with me and together let us gather the funds to purchase these mattresses. Ivan Skoleba, and other Christians will be present when these mattresses are presented. God’s Name will receive the glory and the members of the Lord’s Church in Krivy Rog will receive incredible media coverage. This shows the hospital beds and mattresses that need to be replaced. The current mattresses are not hospital quality and cannot be cleaned and disinfected. The mattresses are a simple cotton fabric covering stuffed with cotton padding. They offer no support and are not adequate for any type of patient care. For only $15.00 each, we can buy NEW, hospital quality mattresses!

If you are willing to help or know of others willing to help us purchase these mattresses please send funds to:

Ukraine Missions

Judsonia Church of Christ

P. O. Box 422

Judsonia, AR 72081

Thanks for all your support and prayers.  Continue to remember the Christians in Ukraine in your prayers and me as I continue travelling.