Hospital opens in Tomashhorod to serve communities contaminated by Chornobyl (07/16/06)

Hospital opens in Tomashhorod to serve communities contaminated by Chornobyl

by Evhenia Medvedenko

TOMASHHOROD, Ukraine - Despite a driving rainstorm that briefly disrupted their festivities, the townspeople of Tomashhorod in northern Rivne Oblast celebrated the opening of a new ambulatory hospital in their village made possible by a grant from the government of Japan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) - Chornobyl Recovery and Reconstruction Project.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on June 9 with representatives of the regional and village government, UNDP, local residents and international organizations in attendance.

Speaking on behalf of the UNDP, Dr. Pavlo Zamostyan expressed the satisfaction of his colleagues in seeing this clinic open after a great deal of hard work and fund-raising. He wished the townspeople of Tomashhorod the very best of health: "May you and your children avoid all diseases, and only use this clinic for preventive purposes as much as possible."

Dr. Zamostyan praised the efforts of the village elders and especially the vision and determination of Tomashhorod's dynamic young mayor, Ivan Vlasyk, who helped to bring this hospital to completion.

Among the other guests taking part in the opening ceremony were Dr. Viktor Kovaliov, the assistant minister of health for the Rivne Oblast; Oksana Zalipska, the director of Chornobyl recovery programs for the Rivne Oblast Administration Office of Emergency Preparedness; and Alexander Kuzma, the executive director of the U.S.-based Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund (CCRDF).

Dr. Zamostyan, Ms. Zalipska and Mr. Kuzma were invited to cut the ribbon for the new hospital.

The international guests were greeted by a large contingent of local schoolchildren attired in Ukrainian national costumes and a folk ensemble that regaled them with traditional songs from the region.

The new clinic will serve the growing population of the Rokytnenskyi-Tomashhorod District of northern Rivne Oblast that received relatively heavy amounts of radioactive fallout from the Chornobyl nuclear disaster. The soil in this region is relatively poor and marshy, leading to a heavy uptake of radioactive particles in the plants and dairy products. Most families also supplement their diets with berries, mushrooms and meats from wild animals that also concentrate high amounts of radiation. Despite many health problems, the population of this district has continued to grow, with an unusually high number of families with 10 or more children.

In anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster this year, the UNDP, CCRDF and other international agencies have been increasing their assistance to this region to help reduce the risk of birth defects, pregnancy complications and immune deficiencies, as well as to provide better diagnosis and treatment of oncological illnesses.

In June, CCRDF also delivered a Fresenius blood cell separator from Germany to the Rivne Regional Children's Hospital to help improve survival and recovery rates for children suffering from leukemia.

In late July, CCRDF will also be installing new equipment at a newly constructed maternity hospital in the village of Volodymyrets, located between the Rivne Atomic Energy Station in Kuznetsovsk and serving other settlements contaminated by Chornobyl.

"These are communities that want to build a better future for their children," said Oksana Zalipska of the Rivne Oblast Administration. "This area is economically very poor, without much industry or local business, so people are continuing to live off the land as they have for many centuries. Unfortunately this land is contaminated, and we need to give them as much information as possible, so they can reduce their exposure and we need to give them new resources, including new hospitals and clinics to give them the best chance to prevent and combat illnesses."

Dr. Zamostyan expressed his great respect for the residents of Tomashhorod and surrounding areas: "These are courageous, determined people, who have taken the initiative to improve their own lives. They are not giving up. They are building their future."

For more information on health care projects in the Rivne Oblast readers may please contact the Children of Chornobyl Relief and Development Fund, 272 Old Short Hills Road, Short Hills, NJ 07078; telephone, 973-376-5140; e-mail, info-ua@childrenofchornobyl.org; or contact Dr. Mykola Movchan at the U.N. Development Program office in Kyiv: phone, 044-253-50-68; e-mail, mykola.movchan@undp.org.ua.

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