Conference-hall in Regional Anti-TB Hospital in Donetsk Opens with Support by Foundation for Development of Ukraine
14.02.2008
On 12 February, 2008 at 11:00 Donetsk Regional Anti-TB Hospital saw a grand opening of the conference-hall after repair carried out with technical support of Foundation for Development of Ukraine.
The opening was visited by Director of the Foundation Anatoliy Zabolotny, heads of the regional anti-TB hospital, representatives of Donetsk Regional State Administration, employees of phthisiology and pulmonology chair at Donetsk National Medical University, TB doctors working in anti-TB facilities in the region, as well as managers of Program to Combat TB Epidemic in Donetsk Region for 2007-2011 Denis Denisenko, Yelena Neshcheret, Irina Soshenko, and Vladimir Mozgovoy.
The repair was funded together with Regional State Administration under the program above. Funding volume amounted to UAH 154,868.96.
The Foundation spent the funds to buy:
| № | Title | UAH |
| 1. | Blinds | 3505,96 |
| 2. | Rostrum and table | 2500?00 |
| 3. |
Arm-chairs |
68193,00 |
| 4. | Blackboard | 1490,00 |
| 5. | Equipment | 79180,00 |
| Total | 154868,96 |
In his welcome speech, Anatoliy Zabolotny said why the Foundation took up fighting such a difficult problem as TB:
"Firstly, because it was a personal initiative of Rinat Akhmetov. For ex-USSR countries it is almost an unparalleled case when a big business takes up overcoming of this problem. Many people know there are more fashionable and touted areas where businesses like investing in. Almost nobody deals with TB. We decided not to get involved simply in solution of this problem but to undertake responsibility for a watershed at least in Donetsk Region. We understand we should not limit ourselves to one region. Yet it is necessary to create an unmatched project to tackle the problem. I would like to thank regional administration for understanding and political will because TB is a national problem. To have a proper approach to solution of the problem in place, this will was demonstrated. A detailed very concrete 5-year regional program was approved. I want to express gratitude to Anatoliy M. Bliznyuk and Vladimir I. Logvinenko. They are members of Advisory Board and supervise the program with us just like Rinat Akhmetov oversees it in person".
In turn, Lidiya A. Blakitnaya, vice-head of health care administration of Donetsk Regional Administration said: "A big role in the process is played by the media that help us, promote our ideas, and prepare public to other approaches".
The importance of the event was highlighted by representatives of Donetsk National Medical University, in particular dean of the first medical department Boris Ivnev and Svetlana Lepshina, vice-head of phthisiology and pulmonology chair.
"Today is an excellent day. Today we are in a beautiful conference-hall, an auditorium, and for us - medical university employees - it is firstly a lecture hall. Clear, spacious, modern, and with good equipment. Being the dean, I visited the chair many times and saw the transformation personally. Now you can see on slides how dramatically the outlook of the hall changed. On behalf of the president of our national medical university I would like, firstly, to thank Foundation for Development of Ukraine for this big important cause that, in my view, completely meets the major mission of the foundation and goal they declare - to eradicate reasons of social problems in Ukrainian society. And I believe that contribution to education, science, and health care is the basis of a country. This is an absolutely long-term investment in the future of the country. So, in my opinion, today the future has been created here", - underlined I. Ivnev.
«Today is a special day in our biography. I feel as if we all have birthday. Because we all have been looking forward to this including chair teachers, hospital workers, and regional specialists and everybody working in regions. Obviously for us, chair workers, this hall has a huge importance since we spend here our whole life", said S.Lepshina.
Regional TB doctors also shared their feelings:
"Impressions are enormous. It is pleasant to work in such a hall and it is pleasant that we are not forgotten. People started paying much attention to TB. Much funding is being provided. I think it is worth doing. TB must be taken care of", said chief physician of Volnovakha Anti-TB Dispensary Natalya Stroganova.
"The most important is that you can feel not only warmness from the light in this hall but also actual warmness that it always lacked. I graduated from Donetsk Medical Institute, I studied here, had my internship at this chair. As I remember it was always cold in winter here. We didn't put off our coats. Now it is so great, I can't even express it", says chief of department No.3 of Gorlovka TB Dispensary Inna Lemesheva.
The conference-hall will be a part of the National Training Center for TB Doctors. It will be used for lectures for students of Donetsk Medical University as well as for workshops and conferences held to improve prestige of the TB-doctor profession.
For your information:
In 2007 the Regional Budget was expected to allocate UAH 20.8m and the Foundation for Development of Ukraine - UAH 18.5m on TB fighting program in the Donetsk Region. Since the program was launched in July, less funding was provided, namely 14.2m by the Regional Budget and 8.6m by the Foundation, as well as 2m by city and district government. The regional budget is expected to commit UAH 18m and the Foundation - UAH 20m this year.
TB morbidity is getting stabilized in the region. In 2007 morbidity of all TB types tumbled by 4.7% including reduction by 7.9% among children and 18.1% among youth. As of 01 January, 2008, 11,000 people with TB are registered. The index is 240.9 per 100,000 people. Mortality went down by 1.3% and amounts to 29.6 per 100,000 people.
Treatment quitting figure (patients quit treatment) among patients in intensive treatment phase went down almost twice thanks with social food ration from 8.4% to 3.6%.
