A blow to Okhmatdyt: two hospital buildings cannot be restored
12 July 2024 17:01
Two buildings of the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, which were destroyed by a Russian missile strike on 8 July, cannot be restored. Therefore, they will be demolished, reports [Kommersant] citing a speech by Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Lyashko.
“Instead of these (destroyed – ed.) buildings, one new modern building will be built. We have already sent funds to eliminate the consequences of the terrorist attack in the new first building. The money will also be used for medical equipment, design and construction of the new building. The government and the state will fund as much as necessary,” Liashko said.
The Health Minister added that work is underway to comprehensively assess the damage. Next week, a company will be selected to rebuild and eliminate the consequences of the missile attack.
Viktor Liashko also said that the accounts of the medical institution have already received more than UAH 800 million from charitable foundations.
Russian missile attack on Okhmatdyt hospital on 8 July
on 8 July 2024, during another massive missile attack during the Russian-Ukrainian war, the hospital suffered significant damage from a Russian X-101 cruise missile strike. The strike damaged the hospital’s buildings, destroyed some of the medical facility’s buildings, smashed windows and glass, and caused casualties.
The Russians destroyed the building of the Toxicology Department, where seriously ill children were on dialysis, five oncology departments, ten surgical departments, two somatic departments, an intensive care unit, two intensive care units, operating units, radiotherapy and radiotherapy departments, and three other buildings were damaged. Two electrical substations that powered the hospital’s entire infrastructure were also destroyed.
As of mid-day, two adults (one of them a doctor) and seven children were known to have been killed and injured. on 10 July, a boy died who was in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the time of the attack on Okhmatdyt on 8 July.
on 9 July 2024, the director of Okhmatdyt, Volodymyr Zhovnir, addressed the UN Security Council. In his speech, he stated that at the time of the attack, about 1,200 people were in the hospital and 3 complex operations were underway. The attack killed 2 people and injured about 300, including 8 children. He also noted that the attack damaged 24 wards, which will limit the ability to provide quality medical services to those in need. One of the buildings is beyond repair.
