Repairs to hospital bomb shelters help Ukrainians stay safe
With financial support from the Republic of Korea, UNICEF has restored and equipped shelters in healthcare facilities across Ukraine
- Українська
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Sometimes, patients at the Regional Medical Center for Family Health in Dnipro must go down to the bomb shelter several times a day when they hear the air raid siren– even those on crutches or in wheelchairs.
Twelve-year-old Artem, who has a fractured tibia after being in a car accident, is one of them. He had to endure two surgeries in one week. Now, he will have to wear a cast for a month and undergo a year of rehabilitation.
"It's horrifying at home during air alerts, but it's even more horrifying when you're at the hospital. Hospitals, schools and kindergartens are being shelled”
Because Artem can barely move, he must be moved onto a hospital trolley when the air raid siren sounds, wheeled down to the bomb shelter and placed on a bed. Down here, there are several rooms with beds, a supply of water, medicines, food and a restroom. The shelter also has a fully equipped operating room.
"We go down to the bomb shelter because it's the only place where we're safe”
Thirteen-year-old Sasha, Artem’s roommate, is undergoing rehabilitation after an old injury. The boy has massages and physical therapy, knows all the doctors and feels at home at the hospital. He goes down to the bomb shelter on crutches, lies down on any free bed and usually watches cartoons.
Olha Maltseva, Deputy Medical Director for Quality of Care, says that the bomb shelter was once just a dilapidated basement. But now, thanks to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Republic of Korea, they have managed to make repairs, install electricity and water, and fix the floor.
"The bomb shelter can accommodate more than 200 people at a time – all those who are treated in the hospital,” says Olha. “As for outpatient care, there are separate rooms where adults, children, and doctors can go down. We know that we can safely provide medical care despite the things going on outside.”
Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in February 2022, UNICEF has been helping to restore bomb shelters in medical facilities across Ukraine, including children's hospitals. With the financial support of the Republic of Korea, seven shelters have been restored and equipped in healthcare facilities in Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kyiv.
