Hospital in Lutsk dedicates intensive care ward for newborns (11/12/00)

Hospital in Lutsk dedicates intensive care ward for newborns

by Alex Kuzma

LUTSK, Ukraine - The Volynian Regional Children's Medical Center (VRCMC) officially dedicated its Newborn Intensive Care Ward to the memory of Dr. Vera Matushevsky, a pediatrician from the northwestern Ukrainian province who fell victim to the Stalin purges and perished in Mordovia in the 1940s. The October 6 dedication was inspired by Dr. Matushevsky's granddaughter, Oksana Bakum, who, along with her husband, Prof. Volodymyr Bakum, have worked intensively with the Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund (CCRF) to modernize the Lutsk neonatal unit and to reduce infant mortality in Volyn Oblast. Mrs. Bakum targeted the Lutsk hospital as a tribute to her grandmother, who worked with the Ukrainian resistance and devoted much of her life to the children of Volyn and to the independence of Ukraine.

The Bakums, who are from Highland, N.Y., were warmly greeted at the VRCMC by hospital staff and the families of infants who survived birth complications with the help of state-of-the-art technology installed by the CCRF. Since 1997, the CCRF has delivered more than $500,000 worth of medical supplies and hospital equipment to the center in Volyn. Together the Bakum and Matushevsky families have contributed a substantial sum to the CCRF to improve the quality of care at the institution. Among the valuable supplies provided by the CCRF were a fully equipped ambulance, a transport incubator, a pediatric ultrasound, pulse oxymeters, two respirators, three neonatal intensive care incubators, a blood analyzer, surgical instruments and a cardiac monitor. With the help of this new technology and Western training programs offered by the CCRF, the doctors at the Lutsk hospital have been able to decrease the rate of infant mortality by more than 50 percent while expanding services for newborns who are in distress or in need of emergency services.

The Bakums' visit to Lutsk attracted considerable attention, including local television and newspaper coverage. Journalists were surprised to find the Bakums a very modest, unpretentious couple who shied away from the limelight and who seemed overwhelmed by the public recognition they received.

Before entering the neonatal ward, Mrs. Bakum placed a wreath of flowers before a portrait of her grandmother, adorned by a Ukrainian embroidered cloth and lit by a single candle that hung in the hospital, and the hospital staff and guests observed a moment of silence in honor of Dr. Matushevsky.

Inside the intensive care unit, anesthesiologist Dr. Mykola Hnatiw and neonatal specialist Dr. Tetiana Vyhovska explained the condition of infants who were undergoing treatment in the incubators delivered by the CCRF and financed by the Bakum family. Among the miracle babies was an underweight infant recovering from emergency surgery for an infected appendix and other life-threatening complications.

In a crowded waiting room, the Bakums were introduced to an enthusiastic group of parents and "alumni" - toddlers who had fully recovered from various illnesses with the help of medication and equipment donated by the CCRF. Carrying flowers and gifts, many of the parents were visibly moved to meet the benefactors who were responsible for their babies' survival. Among the special guests was 2-year-old Viktoria Davydiuk - the first child rescued with the aid of the CCRF's transport incubator purchased with generous financial aid from the Bakums.

Speaking on behalf of the families, grandmother Viktoria Marchuk presented the Bakums with a traditional greeting of sweetbread and salt. "Words can never fully convey the depth of our gratitude," said Mrs. Marchuk. "Your generosity helped to bring these children back to life." Prof. Bakum replied that the privilege of seeing the children's beautiful faces was all the thanks that he and his wife would ever need.

As the toddlers overcame their bashfulness, they approached their adopted grandparents from America, kissed and embraced them. Prof. Bakum took special delight in one youngster who tried to pull off his eyeglasses.

Prof. Bakum has worked as a French-language instructor at the State University of New York at New Paltz for over 30 years. He and Mrs. Bakum coordinate an intensive summer study institute in France for SUNY students. The Bakums have also taught English in Ukraine as volunteers for the summer program sponsored by the Ukrainian National Association. They are active in the Ukrainian Orthodox community in Kerhonkson, N.Y., in the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, and many other civic organizations. The Bakums have been active with the CCRF since 1995 when they helped to raise over $40,000 for medical equipment for a children's hospital in Lviv.

More recently, the Bakums donated an additional $10,000 to help CCRF purchase a neonatal respirator for the Regional Children's Hospital in Rivne - a region that was heavily affected by radiation from Chornobyl. This fall the CCRF delivered over $400,000 worth of medical supplies to Rivne in the hopes of stemming the high infant mortality rate in that region.

The Bakums were obviously surprised by the attention lavished on them by the hospital staff and parents. They were quick to dismiss their own contribution and to credit the doctors and nurses for the success of the neonatal center. "We have only played a very small part in this," said Prof. Bakum. "The credit should really go to the extraordinary skill of these hard-working physicians who have given so much of their energy and talent to save these little children."

Following the welcoming ceremonies at the Volynian neonatal center, the managing director of the VRCMC, Dr. Hryhorii Vashchylin and the chief doctor, Dr. Valerii Rutskyi, escorted the Bakums on an extensive tour of their hospital to showcase the dramatic progress that has been made. The Bakums were especially impressed with a diagnostic laboratory and a sanatorium for disabled children that have become part of the VRCMC medical network. The CCRF has also provided a chromosome analyzer and other supplies to these satellite projects. "We're encouraged to see that these doctors are taking the initiative to improve their community's medical resources," said Mrs. Bakum. "They are not just waiting for Western aid, but mobilizing the skills and the generosity of their own countrymen."

Refurbished by local Lutsk businessmen who had donated free labor and building materials, the Volyn hospital and its satellite clinics have become the envy of neighboring regions.

Infant mortality remains a serious health concern for Ukraine, which has experienced a net loss of over 2 million citizens in just the last five years. The CCRF has been a leader in the fight to improve prenatal care and infant survival programs. In addition to its success in Lutsk, the fund has also achieved sharp reductions in infant mortality in its partner hospitals in Lviv, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk. The CCRF is currently seeking more donors who would want to sponsor similar neonatal centers at other Ukrainian hospitals. Those interested in discussing a sponsorship or planned gift to The CCRF are urged to call (973) 376-5140 or (203) 387-0507.

Tax-deductible donations, whether large or small, are gratefully accepted and may be mailed to: CCRF, 272 Old Short Hills Road, Short Hills, NJ 07078. For further information supporters may visit the CCRF's website at http://www.childrenofchornobyl.org.

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