“I stopped walking”: Surgical care in the front row in Ukraine
Silence in the hospital. Dark corridors, despite Solhira morning. The night before, the Russian military drones were blown over the city, and consequently, patients who were trying to sleep in the sound of explosions were difficult to sleep.
Volodimir is looking forward to the second surgery. The Donetsk Region, which is less than 10 km from the village of Komar, has been rushed to the hospital for four days with Gangrene de Fournier – a kind of disease that swallows meat, and it should be treated very early.
“I stopped walking, my neighbors had to take me to the hospital. I must come a month ago, but I can’t do it,” said Volodimir. .
The consequences of late treatment
Patients with neglected diseases like Voldimir in this hospital are common, which is a close installation The front row to the east of Ukrania To provide secondary care. It is at the intersection of three areas with an active fight, which gains a high flow of people who are looking for health services.
A. Doctors with no boundaries (MSF) supports the emergency department of the hospital and the Theater of Operations. In addition, it carries referrals from patients to be observed by very special surgeons, more from the front rows. It helps to reduce the burden of installation, but constantly comes to new patients with new problems.
For the reception, people receive from zones such as Donetsk, Dinipropetrovsk and Japorizia, where attacks do not stop. Life conditions are difficult – almost always get shelter in cellars, patients do not get medications and medical care or food and hygiene articles.
The most serious struggles in the Donetsk region continueHere with the front row volatility and devastating to many villages and villages. The main aspects of this conflict are in Pokersk, Kurakhoov and Chasive Year. In these areas, hospitals have to be evacuated, leaving residents without another choice: travel too far to get medical care. Roads are often filled with arms residues, some of which may contain devices by explosion, which makes these trips more dangerous. As a result, many people postpone health services and their state is getting worse.
“We have already received a patient with three days of peritonitis (inflammation of the inner wall of the abdomen), so we had to take him to the theater immediately,” MSF medical activities, Kasan L-Kapana recalled. “People have limited access to health care, and we see how it affects them. There are many patients with diseases that do not transfer: blood pressure crises, thrombosis, neglected surgical diseases.”
Khasan prepares to perform surgery. Wash your hands thinly, rinse your nails with a brush and wear gloves. A nurse helps him to keep the surgical gap. Volodomir, in the Operations Bureau, has already received anesthesia. Khasan and his assistants are ready to start this policy.
Although there is no need for emergency, Operations work with a flashlight, despite the special lighting to work in the room completely “But you are accustomed to have it.” Due to attacks on energy infrastructure, power cuts are often and unexpected. There are generators in the hospital, but surgeons do not see their work disrupts the darkness.
Yulia Tropimova
Hospital experts are very active when they need to connect generators, as they are accustomed to stable fuel cuts. However, delay and difficulties can still occur. It is an additional challenge in providing medical care, although hospitals should maintain adequate fuel reserves and MSF supports certain donations. “At these times, the elevators don’t work. We should take patients to the opening room in the stretchers.”Explanation is Khasan.
Support for hospitals in Ukraine
Another kind of patients who reach MSF teams near the front row F.Eridos Of the war, it is often suffering from bombing, earthly mines and sharp injury.
“Some of these people face multiple wounds in various parts of the body, including head, abdomen, chest and tissues. Many patients have also exposed wounds,” Kasan explained.
The injured patients do not receive medical care shortly after suffering from injury. “We are already dealing with infected wounds. We cannot help patients too long, and then they are in a sophisticated state of sepsis with us.”Underline Khasan. “In this last month, we have dealt with seven patients with these types of problems.”
Yulia Tropimova
The MSF is ongoing for medical facilities close to active fighting zones in Ukraine. The company’s medical teams operate in hospitals in the Dnipropetrovsk area and in Kherson. In 2024, they attended and performed 1,149 surgeries and supported 435 patients in intensive care units.
In Karsan city, MSF teams also provide surgery and injury care.
Yulia Tropimova
A. The Volodimir operation took less than an hour. This is not the first surgery.
“When he first came to the hospital, he was in an unimmemic and septic shock. We have already got rid of the source of the infection, but he needs to be strictly tertiary care. We need to stabilize it before leading it to a special installation, as he needs to be hospitalized in a plastic surgeon, urologist and serious care.”
The nurses complete the dressing and transferred to the Volodimir intensive care. Wait for a long way of recovery. Although its state and front row reached the village where it lived, Volodimir says he is coming home mostly what he wants.
