Now newborns of Bukovina will have more chances to live

From now on the Regional Chernivtsi City Hospital has everything it needs for this purpose. A new neonatal intensive care centre within "Cradles of hope" Program sponsored by Victor Pinchuk Foundation was opened here. Using expensive equipment physicians will be able to diagnose complicated pregnancy instances requiring immediate surgery, intensive resuscitation, and subsequent rehabilitation of the newborns. Six centres have been already opened in the biggest regional cities. Five more are to be opened. The Foundation has allocated about 10 million hryvnyas for this already.

It is no coincidence that Chernivtsi City was selected to be provided with the centre, because birth rates in the region decrease every year.

Ivan Shelepnitskiy, chairman of the Chernivtsi Regional Council: "Historically, no proper attention has been paid to medical care in Chernivtsi region for the last decade. We have got the worst possible diagnostic equipment and instruments. The facilities have not been repaired for 10 years so far".

In order to ensure high quality aid provided to newborns, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation has scheduled trainings and workshops for the personnel of the hospital and will equip the centre with computers.

Victor Pinchuk, founder of charitable organization "Victor Pinchuk Foundation": "It has become a very important part of my life. I believe that this is very interesting and this is the right time to do this. We live in a young country and I find it great to be a part of such activity. Since the State is just incapable of handling this issue, one is tempted to ask a question then - who else can handle it? The answer is business - large-scale business".

Yelizaveta Shunko, Chief Neonatal Physician of the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine: "The most topical issues relate to arranging and providing medical care to pregnant women and newborns. There are problems related to lack of modern medical equipment. There is also a strong need to ensure a permanent professional development of people who provide care for newborns".

Similar centres successfully work in six regions of Ukraine. Eleven thousand babies were cured last year within the framework of "Cradles of hope" Program. Thanks to the new equipment almost 500 children's lives were saved. The Foundation has promised to open five more centres for newborns by the end of the year and has allocated already 10 million hryvnyas for this.

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