CCRF's humanitarian aid helps Poltava maternity hospital

by Olena Maslyukivska

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Kyiv-based Ukrainian newspaper Fakty noted in a recent article that the mortality rate of the infants at the Poltava Maternity Clinical Hospital decreased by 90 percent the first three months of this year compared to the same period of the last year. Infants who would have died due to lung failure or other complications now have a chance of survival without brain damage or other severe handicaps.

Fakty credited this success to the efforts of the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF), a New Jersey-based charitable foundation that provided the Poltava maternity hospital with new and modern intensive-care equipment for infants manufactured by Fisher & Paykel, a company from New Zealand specializing in rehabilitation equipment. The company provides free technical support and service to the hospital and the CCRF has provided training for the local medical personnel.

Unlike the often well-endowed medical institutions in Kyiv, hospitals in other Ukrainian cities often lack medical instruments and even basic medical supplies. For this reason, the CCRF is working to provide those hospitals with modem rehabilitation technology. Scientific conferences for Ukrainian neonatologists with broad participation of the leading American experts in the field, organized by the CCRF, are raising the qualifications of some Ukrainian doctors to the level of their American colleagues. A recent translation into Ukrainian of a neonatology textbook is becoming increasingly popular among the doctors.

For the first time, some women who were once discouraged from becoming pregnant due to their exposure to Chornobyl radiation now have a chance to become mothers. Dr. Natalia Udovytska, the chief doctor of the Poltava maternity hospital shared one of these amazing stories. A 28-year old evacuee from the 30-kilometer exclusion zone dared to become pregnant. Severe pregnancy complications forced an early delivery. A premature newborn baby-girl and her mother would have died prior to the installation of new equipment. But the latest methodologies and modem equipment resulted in full recovery for the infant.

"If only we could also get modem diagnostic equipment and an ambulance," - said Dr. Udovytska, - "We could decrease not only the infant mortality but also cases. This is no less of a problem."

CCRF hopes to expand the capabilities of the Poltava Neonatal Unit by delivering additional equipment over the coming year. "We would like to add at least another complete neonatal station in Poltava," said Dr. Zenon Matkiwsky, chairman of the board of directors of the CCRF. "With only one respirator, there is a danger that two or more babies born at one time with respiratory complications could be deprived of life-saving aid. We don't want the doctors to be placed in the heart-breaking position of choosing which baby lives or dies," he added.

Tax deductible donations may be sent to the CCRF, 272 Old Short Hills Road, Short Hills, NJ 07078. For more information on the fund's infant survival program, please call (973) 376-5140 or consult its website at www.childrenofchomobyl.org.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 2, 2000, No. 27, Vol. LXVIII

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