This summer, the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital found itself at the center of the country’s attention twice. First after a tragic strike: a Russian missile hit one of its buildings, destroying and damaging several buildings of Ukraine’s most famous children’s hospital. The second time, «Okhmatdyt» was back in the headlines — this time over a scandal linked to a tender for the hospital’s reconstruction.
But time passes, summer is coming to an end, and some of the hospital’s buildings are still in ruins. The scattered debris has been cleared, and windows blown out by the blast wave have been temporarily boarded up with plywood. But none of these loud stories have made things easier for the sick children and doctors. It’s heartbreaking to see.
That’s when ABA “ASTRA” decided to act. As ABA “ASTRA” CEO Ihor Anatoliiovych Hubariev told AgroPravda in an interview: «We discussed the situation within the company and decided to help Okhmatdyt with concrete actions. After contacting hospital representatives, we found out where the greatest need was, and together with our shareholders, Laszlo and Istvan Pejoc, we purchased ten air conditioners for Okhmatdyt’s Therapeutic Department No. 13 and promptly installed them in the wards and staff rooms. The whole process took just a few days, and the air conditioners are already running».
We would like to give special thanks to our shareholders for their compassion and readiness to help in a difficult moment. Their involvement was a decisive factor in this project. This contribution — not just of equipment, but of comfort and health for the smallest patients — became a true example of compassion and humanity.
Those who genuinely want to help don’t need tenders or bureaucratic procedures. The doctors can’t get over how much more comfortable working conditions are now, patients are no longer too hot, and the labs maintain the microclimate they need.
«Our building No. 13 is old, but fortunately it was hardly damaged by the blast, since it stands behind a new high-rise building that took the main force of the blast wave. However, the load on our therapeutic department increased significantly, since some children from the damaged buildings were transferred to us», says the department’s medical director, Tetiana Pavlivna Ivanova. «The wards were unbearably hot, and it was hard to work in those conditions too. When many people came for appointments, there was literally nothing to breathe in the corridors. We happily accepted ABA “Astra”‘s offer, but we didn’t even expect them to make it happen so quickly. I am sincerely amazed by their speed and determination», Tetiana Pavlivna continues, sharing her experience working with the benefactors.
But the nurses are the happiest of all — working their shifts in protective gear and constant motion, even in the heat. «It’s now so comfortable in the department that I can’t remember the last time it was this good», shares senior nurse Yuliia Mykolaivna Oleshchenko.
The medical staff told us at length about how things are going at «Okhmatdyt», about the unique methods used, and about the only sleep laboratory in Ukraine, where children suffering from insomnia are treated. Unfortunately, the war has also brought new patients. ABA “Astra”‘s leadership has promised to continue helping «Okhmatdyt» and is already developing new projects.
It’s worth noting that this is far from the only hospital-support project carried out by ABA “ASTRA”. Earlier, the company, together with AGCO Corporation, installed and commissioned powerful diesel generators at district hospitals in Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions. During AgroPravda’s visit to one of these hospitals in Pryluky, it could only function thanks to this generator.
The desire to help those who truly need it has become an integral part of ABA “ASTRA”‘s social responsibility in recent years. And this is only the beginning…
Thank you to AgroPravda for this article.
