The Ohmatdyt hospital needs blood donations
The blood donation center at Kyiv’s Ohmatdyt children’s hospital was also damaged and made temporarily non-operational after the July 8 Russian missile strike.
Although the department and its offices are relatively far from the main impact site, its windows were shattered there were risks of costly equipment and other property inside the building being damaged by rainwater.
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But now it is open again.
The medical staff here is always welcoming, and I gladly come back and bring new blood donors with me. It’s encouraging to see more women stepping forward to donate blood.
Unfortunately, there are still too few blood donors. Many donors are now either defending the country on the frontline, actively volunteering to provide the army with everything it needs or are in a state of exhaustion and can rarely make it to blood donation centers.
Public attention towards Ohmatdyt and its restoration after the strike has been significant and remains so. Sadly, the public and donors witnessed certain misunderstandings and scandals. People did not see results, and the fate of the damaged buildings was unclear.
[Kyiv Post previously reported that the Charitable Foundation “Ohmatdyt – for a Healthy Childhood,” which raised funds for the restoration of the Ohmatdyt National Specialized Children’s Hospital after the July 8 missile strike, was not planning to transfer the money to the hospital’s accounts but to retain the cash. Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko announced the suspension of the hospitals Director Volodymyr Zhovnir. ]
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Taking the opportunity during my latest visit, I asked the medical staff for an update on the restoration, who now seem more optimistic about the future. Reconstruction work inside the buildings has started, and the main goal of sealing off offices and departments before the severe frosts arrived to prevent moisture, cold, and other intrusions has been completed.
A doctor I know confirmed that the chaos of scandals around the restoration seems to have ended.
In some places, the windows are boarded up with plywood, particle boards, or OSB panels, while in others, they are covered with plastic film, banners, or other materials. The sealing of departments, floors, and rooms to survive the winter, humidity, and harsh weather has been done.
But what made me smile the most, and reminded me of the term “resilience”, was the general desire to hold on and radiate positivity, to show a thirst for life.
There was a modest Christmas tree, minimally decorated, and garlands on the railings of the damaged building.
The lights were shining, and the tree stood proudly in front of the ruined structure.
It’s a beautiful symbol of strength - both of the people who work there and of humanity in general.
We hope everything here will be restored soon, that children will receive treatment, and that those launching attacks will cease to exist.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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