The international conference “Providing help to people with deep thermal burns in the Polish-Ukrainian border area” took place in the City Hospital
On 30-31 October the international conference on providing help for victims suffering from serious thermal burns injuries in the Polish-Ukrainian border area was conducted in the municipal institution Lutsk Clinical Hospital. The event was held within the framework of the project “Cross-border cooperation for the prevention and treatment of extensive burn injuries in the Polish-Ukrainian cross-border area”, financed under the Cross-border Cooperation Programme Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2007-2013 http://goo.gl/stBG3y. The conference was attended by doctors and specialists from Eastern Poland Burn Treatment Centre, Public Health Care Centre in Łęczna (Poland) and by their Ukrainian colleagues.
The conference was opened by the project coordinator, Chief Physician of the City Hospital Larysa Dukhnevych who outlined the main issues of providing help for patients with serious burn injuries in Ukraine and Poland, informed about project fulfillment and mentioned achievements of this successful cooperation. She noted that the purpose of the project that was launched in March last year is to improve the health of residents of the Polish-Ukrainian border zone by creating a permanent framework for cooperation in the field of prevention and treatment of serious burn injuries.
'We wanted to establish close cooperation in the field of treatment of burns patients. By virtue of the project, our experts were able to visit Poland and borrow the experience of their colleagues. Our doctors were deeply impressed by the level of equipment in the Burn Centre in Lenchna. They have a helicopter, special vehicles and modern equipment. It is a striking example to follow', said Larysa Dukhnevych.
The Chief Doctor of the town hospital emphasized that they obtained a possibility to improve the material and technical condition of the hospital due to the project. She said that the Volyn Regional Burn Treatment Centre which functions within the medical institution treats patients with serious burn injuries from the whole region. Due to the project now it has modern hospital beds, equipment and reanimobile. In addition, Larysa Dukhnevych noted that another partner of the project was the city of Ustyluh. It also received significant financial support.
Welcome speeches were delivered by Lutsk Mayor Mykola Romaniuk, Deputy Head of Health Care Administration Ivan Hrytsiuk, Volyn Regional State Administration Head of International Cooperation and European Integration Andrii Lomaha, Head of Health Department of the City Council Fedir Koshel and Head of Public Health Institution in city Lenchna Petr Rybak.
The report was presented by project expert, Deputy Chief Physician in the field of organizational and methodological work Andrii Smolianinov who reported on the implementation of the project and presented a so-called roadmap of providing medical treatment for patients with thermal injuries on the international roadway Lutsk-Ustyluh-Hrubeshov-Lublin in Volyn region developed by a group of experts. It’s a document that describes a collective action plan of employees of the State Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine in Volyn region, Volyn Regional Centre of Emergency Aid and Medicine and Volyn Regional Burn Treatment Centre that provides medical treatment for patients with thermal injuries in emergency situations.
Major General of civil protection, Head of State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Volyn region Volodymyr Hrushovinchuk made a report regarding State Emergency Service, providing first aid for victims and collaboration with the medical service in Volyn region. The Chief Physician of municipal institution Volyn Regional Centre of Emergency Medical Treatment and Disaster Medicine Oleg Kuts informed about providing prehospital emergency medical treatment for patients with burn and combined injuries in Volyn region.
Modern realities of reconstructive surgery in Ukraine were presented by professor Olexandr Zhernov (Kyiv). Combustiologist of Eastern Poland Burn Treatment Centre Katazhyna Zhuchovska and Head of Volyn Regional Burn Treatment Centre Roman Trach reported on providing qualified and specialized medical care for patients with burn and combined injuries in Poland and Ukraine. Combustiologist Kovalchuk shared his experience of treating patients with serious thermal injuries in Volyn Burn Treatment Centre.
Combustiologist of Eastern Poland Burn Treatment Center Sergii Antonow outlined prospects of improving skilled and specialized medical care for patients with burn and combined injuries as a result of project fulfillment in Lublin Province. After the theoretical part participants had an opportunity to get acquainted with equipment that was purchased due to the project with a view to enhancing the capacity of medical institutions of the region and providing treatment for patients with burn injuries. Thus Roentgen diagnostic unit, sterilization equipment, functional beds and medical furniture were purchased for Ustyluh City Hospital. A reanimobile on the basis of Citroen Jumper was purchased for the Volyn Regional Burn Treatment Centre, an intensive care ward was equipped: Anaesthetic beds with mattresses designed for preventing a decubitus ulcer, monitors of patients’ conditions, an artificial lung ventilation apparatus, a defibrillator, systems of long-term clinic administration of medications were purchased.
Providing closing remarks, the project coordinator Larysa Dukhnevych emphasized the ways of collaboration between institutions and doctors achieved in the course of the project and noted that the long-term outcome of the project is the basis for future cooperation.
