CCRF's Rochester chapter bolsters sister cities initiative (06/13/99)

CCRF's Rochester chapter bolsters sister cities initiative

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Rochester Chapter of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) has launched a major campaign to provide medical technology and training to combat infant mortality in the city of Poltava in eastern Ukraine.

The new campaign is designed to bolster the Irondequoit-Poltava Sister Cities Initiative, which has been working to promote economic development and citizen's contacts between the two cities since 1991.

The Rochester Chapter donated a check for $15,000 toward the effort, and the National Office of CCRF used these funds to secure more than $96,000 worth of intensive care respirators, a radiant warmer, two incubators and pulse oximeter for the Poltava City Clinical Maternity Center.

Although Poltava was not directly affected by the Chornobyl nuclear disaster, it harbors 30,000 evacuees from the Chornobyl region. The city suffers from a very high infant mortality rate, and earlier fact-finding visits to the city's pediatric and maternity hospitals verified that local health providers were in desperate need of new technology to protect the health of mothers and their newborns.

The CCRF was encouraged to find a qualified neonatal specialist, Dr. Stepan Vernyhora, who had received extensive training in Vienna and had substantial experience in the use of such equipment. In April, the CCRF held a major training conference in Kyiv for neonatal specialists from eight oblasts to further enhance their qualifications in the use of intensive care technology.

Over the coming year, the CCRF hopes to expand its training program and to procure additional supplies for the Poltava Maternity Unit once more funding becomes available.

The Rochester Chapter of the CCRF is planning several fund-raisers to promote the Poltava Initiative, including a major golf tournament at the Deerfield Country Club on September 18. The golf tourney is being organized by a committee of young businesspersons led by Roman Lesiv, Bohdan Skrobach and Lesia Telega.

The CCRF is working actively with the Irondequoit Rotary District, Kiwanis Club, Rochester Ukrainian Federal Credit Union, Ukrainian youth groups, Knights of Columbus and the Basilian Fathers to leverage more private and corporate funding for the Poltava campaign. lrondequoit Town Supervisor Dave Schantz and former Supervisor Sue Masters have pledged their support.

The CCRF's contribution to the Poltava effort received extensive coverage in the lrondequoit Press and the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The CCRF had delivered the first installment of medical equipment to Poltava by the end of April. The fund's involvement in the Poltava project is helping to lift spirits in the historic city, which will be celebrating its 1,100th anniversary in September.

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