In a mission aimed at evaluating ongoing projects and identifying further opportunities for assistance, a delegation from Open Door Ukraine (ODU) visited the hospital in Vilniansk in Zaporizhia Oblast on October 14, 2023. The primary focus of the visit was to assess the progress of the current project, with ODU actively involved in roof repairs, and explore possible future projects. Vilniansk is home to a major healthcare center that serves the medical needs of approximately 40,000 patients.
The hospital in this area has suffered greatly from the ongoing conflict and has endured two separate attacks. One of these attacks, a rocket attack, tragically struck the maternity ward, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of a one and a half day old child. The impact also hit two doctors, who suffered permanent injuries. The damage to the hospital necessitated the closure of five specialized departments, forcing the hospital to reorganize and consolidate these spaces into two rooms, severely limiting their operational capabilities.
During the visit, the delegation observed the progress of the roof repair project, which is following the planned path. The dire conditions have prompted ODU to explore support options to increase the hospital’s resilience and ability to serve the community. Discussions are underway about possible financing for the construction of a new patient care center, as well as an underground maternity ward, in accordance with the legal requirement that all Ukrainian births take place underground. In addition, ODU is considering financing the reconstruction of a new building to make the five departments fully operational again. For construction, the possibility of using cost-effective and sturdy SIP panels, which have been successfully demonstrated in a pilot project in the Chernihiv region, is being explored.