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Every year, about one thousand Ukrainian children are diagnosed with cancer. Before the start of the Russian invasion, they received quality treatment at home. However, during the war, Russia chose the tactic of bombarding the hospitals, schools and kindergartens, so the young patients need to be transported to safer places and continue treatment there. During 50 days of the war, Russian troops damaged 324 hospitals, while 24 were completely destroyed.
The West Ukrainian Specialized Children’s Medical Centre in Lviv became the main establishment that treats children with oncology from the different parts of Ukraine, in particular, the cities that found themselves under the shellings. In order to provide them with quality treatment, Roman Kizyma, the Head of the Clinic of oncology and bone marrow transplantation, which is a part of the medical centre, helps to transport the seriously ill children abroad.
As Roman Kizyma noted in the video project «On the First Line», launched by Lviv Now, children with cancer were rescued on a high level in Lviv before the war. Now, due to constant air alarms, and thus the inability to work uninterruptedly, they were forced to seek help in hospitals of the neighbouring countries.
«Earlier, we did it as usual, on a high level, we were moving to Europe and treated all children here. Now, unfortunately, our opportunities for treatment are very damaged. We can call ourselves the clinic of transplantation, but we cannot conduct it. We cannot do much, so we organised a great project on the evacuation of children with oncology to the European Union through Poland,» – Roman Kizyma said.
The West Ukrainian Specialized Children’s Medical Center has already helped hundreds of children with oncological pathologies, who were accompanied by their closest relatives, to leave Ukraine for Poland. The fifth group of children from national hospitals, which are under fire and bombing, has already crossed the Polish border.
A large number of children are escorted by two convoys of police and ambulances to the Polish border, where they are met by their doctors and taken to hospitals.
«Earlier, we had a vision that every child has to receive treatment in Ukraine. Now, our vision is that every child from Ukraine must receive treatment. A small correction,» – Roman Kizyma added.
It will be recalled that on February 15, the Western Ukrainian Specialized Children’s Medical Centre opened Ukraine’s first bone marrow transplantation centre for children.
Translated by Vitalii Holich
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Lviv Now is an English-language website for Lviv, Ukraine’s «tech-friendly cultural hub.» It is produced by Tvoe Misto («Your City») media-hub, which also hosts regular problem-solving public forums to benefit the city and its people.