Babruisk: promised reconstruction of Children's Hospital hasn't started (photo)

Last year Uladzimir Shcharbatyh, an activist of the campaign "Tell the Truth," was reported by officials that the reconstruction of the only children's hospital in Babruisk would begin in the first quarter of this year. However, no repairs have started yet.

“The question of repairs in the chidlren's hospital is of an ultimate importance for me,” said Uladzimir Shcharbatykh. “I have maintained correspondence with the officials. Earlier, they promised to conduct repairs in 2014, but lacked funds. Meanwhile, back in 2013, the newspaper of the Babruisk City Executive Committee “Babruiskaya Zhyttsio” published an interview with the main medic of the Babruisk Central Hospotal Uladzimir Hatsko, who said that finances for the reconstruction of the hospital had been issued. It was also said there that the repairs would start not later than the first quarter of 2014. However, as we now see, it didn't happen.

Locals refer to the children's hospital asthe disgrace of Babruisk. There are no normal conditions for both children and parents. In cold weather, mother caulk cracks in the windows with blankets, as the wooden window frames have dried up and pass the cold air. There are cockroaches in the wards, who breed in the holes in the linoleum and wardrobes. There is no shower in the department for the youngest patients. The mothers have to was themselves in the sanitary room, where floorcloths are washed. There is a foul smell in some of the wards, caused by the rotten sewer system.

There are also questions to the internal regulations of the hospital. The mothers wonder why the playroom is open only a few hours a day? Indeed, sometimes a mother could go there with her child while his/her small roommates are asleep. This is all the more surprising if we take into account that there are only a TV, some pencils and old toys there.

Moreover, there are no conditions for stay of fathers with their children. I have six children, and while one of them was ill, my wife got ill to and was put in a hospital. I was settled in the playroom together with my child. It was impossible to get to the toilet in the department, as far as there was just one toilet sink on that floor, and about a hundred of habitants, if we could all mothers and independent children. One cannot was a child there either.

An ideal option for Babruisk children would be the construction of a new, modern hospital. However, now one can only dream about it, as even the talks about the repairing of the hospital are going all for several years already. In 2009, the intensive care and resuscitation department was reconstructed, then everything stopped.

The last answer concerning the repairs came from the Mahiliou Regional Executive Committee came from the First Deputy Head of the Department of Health, Maryna Masiuk. In general, I have
collected many interesting answers of the local and regional officials. They were wily enough to include the repairs in the general budget for 2011-2015. However, against the background of the nation-wide "struggle for demographics" they were to have put the issue of the children's hospital had first in all possible plans. I do not know how things will go now, but if they fail to start the repairs in March we will try seek to solve the problem through the Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Health,” - said Uladzimir Shcharbatykh.

Photo 1: Ill children have to sleep in close proximity to one another.

Photo 2: The wards are separated by glass walls with a poor sound insulation. There are no mirrors in the wards and in the toilet.

In the photo 3: leaky windows in winter are not even stuck with paper, mothershave to close the holes with blankets.

In the photo 4: Holes in the floor.