“Decisions must be made for two — for both the mother and the child”: Govseev on the work of the Perinatal Center during the war
19 February 22:09
The Perinatal Center of Kyiv remains the largest facility of its kind in Ukraine and handles almost half of all births in the capital. In the context of full-scale war, the center has not only maintained its capacity but also operates autonomously in case of danger. The director of the facility, Dmytro Govseev, spoke about the challenges, complex clinical cases, and work in wartime in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the director, everyone is finding it difficult to cope with the war, but for medical professionals, the responsibility is doubled.
“I don’t think there are people who would say that it is not difficult for them to endure a full-scale war,” he emphasized.
Govseev noted that the perinatal center is the largest in Ukraine: it employs about a thousand people in two facilities, and the number of births reaches record levels every year.
“This is the largest facility in Ukraine, employing about a thousand people in two institutions, and which, according to last year’s figures, handles 7,800 births per year. This is the highest number in Ukraine. The year before last, there were 8,300 births. So this is a significant contribution to the number of births,” he said.
According to him, almost half of the children in Kyiv are born here. At the same time, the facility specializes in the most difficult cases—premature births and serious concomitant diseases in pregnant women.
“The facility provides assistance to women who have premature births. This is the most difficult situation and the most difficult task… Decisions must be made for two people: the mother and the child,” he added.
A separate area of work is the training of medical personnel. Interns and doctors who are improving their qualifications pass through the center.
“They all pass through our facility, and they try to learn to see, spread this experience, and tell their colleagues in the field. Therefore, it is a lot of work, and, of course, it is difficult,” says Govseev.
In wartime, logistical issues such as autonomy, heat, water, generators, and security have taken on particular importance.
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“When we get together—doctors, heads of medical institutions in Kyiv—we ask each other, ‘What is the capacity of your generator? Do you have a well?'” says Govseev.
The director emphasized that the perinatal center was the first in the capital to build its own boiler room about ten years ago, which now allows it to provide heat autonomously. Currently, according to him, there are already eight medical institutions in Kyiv that can function completely autonomously in case of an emergency.
Despite the difficult conditions, the center continues to operate as usual and accept patients, Govseev concluded.
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