Ukrainian physicians will be trained to palliative aid

Author: Elena Nesterenko

Photo: as.baikal.tv

“Ukraine is a leader in the population extinction, annually 500,000 people die in our country,” informed Leonid Stadniuk, Director of the State Educative-methodological Geriatric Centre at the today's press conference:

"At the present moment there are 20 hospices for 558 beds in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the number of old and incapable people grows constantly, that is why the state is seriously anxious about the development of palliative aid. Besides, there is a financial personal interest in that, because misapplication of preparations and inadequate approach to the matter yield huge losses to the country. For example, the Institute of Gerontology of Ukraine has calculated that every uninvested hryvna in palliative aid brings UAH 650 of losses. They are both too frequent calls of "first aid", when it is possible to manage with a simple phone consultation, and the great number of hospitalizations, that delight is also not cheap."

According to Stadniuk there is the enormous shortage of personnel in Ukraine trained to work with palliative patients. The purpose of three-week-long courses in Kyiv for practicing doctors and nurses was exactly to correct that situation jointly with American specialists. During those trainings 30 medical workers from the whole Ukraine had been taught to features of work with patients of hospices, had special psychological workout.

However, that has not been the only step of our state in the field of palliative aid.

"Next year an information centre will be opened in Kyiv," said Chief Gerontologist of MHU Vera Tchaikovska. "One of basic problems is that people giving been faced with palliative aid just do not know, where it is possible to get information about antidecubital mattresses, rental of crutches and carriages. But nearly two thousand organizations, able to help such patients, function in Ukraine, but a few people know about that. And after calling in such centre, it will be possible to get a consultation and necessary addresses with telephone numbers."   

Source: InterMedia consulting