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09.05.2020
The gynecological office is ready for visiting

In a few weeks, a modern box will start working in the maternity unit of Druzhkivka central city hospital, where women with viral diseases will give birth.

The initiative of local activists, who found the resources for the emergence of a new medical box, has finally eliminated existing discrimination – because now protocols prohibit the provision of medical services to infected people in the same room as to healthy ones, so banal ARVI or HIV-positive status equally prevent women from using more or less conscious service.

PROJECT-PROPHECY

Today, in the context of epidemic situation, the need for a specialized maternity ward for women in labor with viral diseases has become so important that some see it as a kind of mystique and say that the Druzhkivka project was “prophesied”. Because it started long before the coronavirus outbreak…

– When I saw a box for infected women, my hair stood on end: tightness, dim light, cracked walls, outdated tiles, like in a school WC, – Svitlana Ahadzhanian says, a migrant from Donetsk, and now a resident of Surove village and coordinator of civic organization «Ukraine of Opportunities». – A new room in the other wing of the building is also small, but meets all sanitary and hygienic standards, has already been repaired taking into account the requirements for functionality. Besides, it is just comfortable, beautiful and cozy.

In Druzhkivka, 20-30 births complicated by infectious diagnoses in women have recently been recorded per year (in general, one baby is born about every day in the city). But some women in labor who wanted better conditions went to give birth in Kramatorsk or Kostiantynivka.

The medical staff, who are currently going to the room for the excursion and see its equipment, jokes that it is like a “VIP-ward”: women will stand in line to give birth here. But seriously, such visual changes push for the renewal of ordinary wards. Now the city administration is considering how on its own, without activists’ help to do a box for the stay of infected women who are pregnant.

THIS IS NOT A MIRACLE, IT IS SYNERGY

THIS IS NOT A MIRACLE, IT IS SYNERGY

According to Svitlana, the idea to change the medical space for women from Druzhkivka appeared in 2018, when she and a doctor Oleksandr Kolesnyk (an immigrant from Donetsk too) wrote a grant project to purchase a high-frequency device for modern treatment of gynecological diseases. At that time, the hospital was using a device that was 38 years old. The project was won, and a device at a cost of 40.000 hryvnias was purchased. It has become the basis of a modern office for the diagnosis and treatment of cervix uteri pathology, which, in its turn, is a part of a large-scale project on women’s health.

A polling of citizens, in which Svitlana was also involved, showed that the low level of medical services worries residents of Druzhkivka the most. This topic was discussed at the meetings of the Security and Social Cohesion Group, an advisory body of Druzhkivka city government. Thus “Healthy Community” project was appeared which was supported by the UN Program for Restoration and Peacebuilding in Ukraine.

The project has three components: a gynecological office, birthing room for the infected and «Health Academy». Two of them have already been implemented; the third is in the process.

– It is clear that the activists do not plan to teach a healthy lifestyle to either future parents or pregnant women, because it is a matter of doctors, – Svitlana says. – We only equip the premises where it will be possible to carry out educational activities: trainings, lectures, discussions. The repairs were done. We bought some furniture, a computer, a projector. We are looking for layouts, diagrams, posters, the most scientific visual materials.

«Healthy Community» is funded from two sources: with the support of a European Union grant from the governments of Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland, and from the city budget. At the beginning of the project the parties invested equal parts – 500.000 hryvnias, recently the city financed 180.000 hryvnias.

– Now the share of the city budget is more, than donor is, but if there was no money of the donor, probably, attention to physicians wouldn’t increase. “Healthy Community” turned out to be a kind of trigger, and a chain reaction ensued. This is not a miracle, this is synergy, – Svitlana Ahadzhanian believes. – And doctors are really happy, because they are convinced that changes for the better are needed by someone else, besides themselves. Not only the space is changing, the system of interaction with the authorities is changing: if two years ago our working group was perceived as a closed club, now it is an effective mechanism!

Activists have repeatedly argued that their unindifference effectively saves money. In particular, instead of 1 million hryvnias, they spent 400.000 hryvnias on repairs of premises – they found cheaper contractors. Or they consulted with experts and bought a gynecological examination chair not for 170 thousand hryvnias, but for 40 thousand hryvnias (but functional, new, comfortable), and for the change they bought 10 protective suits for doctors.

– How to stand in line “for improvement”? – I ask Svitlana Ahadzhanian. – What is the secret of success?

– People want to repeat success, but it is necessary to have your own original idea, instead of copying that which worked for someone, – she answers. – I can only learn to look for opportunities, to correlate my idea with the priorities of the donor. Meanwhile, they can change over time, as can the world as a whole. I will change too, because it is natural. I am transforming myself into new realities, because I need to have time to fulfill my life program.

 

Svitlana AHADZHANIAN, a coordinator of civic organization “Ukraine of Opportunities” (Druzhkivka):

    • Start by analyzing the needs of a community. Sociological research should be conducted, but not necessarily for money. You can start by collecting opinions on social networks, on your own mastering the techniques of focus groups, interviews, etc.
    • Do not change everything at once. Ideally, to choose a direction that is close to you.
    • Study priorities of donors in advance and try to get in line with them. Look for grants competitions, but do not grab for all the current ones, think strategically.
    • Remember that negotiations and the preparatory phase can take up to 2-3 months, everything happens gradually.
    • Communicate with donors in the context of co-financing. Any donor is able to solve all our problems, especially on his or her own.
    • Involve professionals – they share contacts, help give a reason for the needs at the time of writing an application, looking for contractors and equipment. In general, they become part of the team.
    • Report to a community not only about victories but also about problems. This is an experience, share it.
    • Thank your partners – everyone: people who will consume your work, the donors and city government. Remember, this is a common success story.

    Olena SAMOILENKO/Gromada Skhid No. 8 (17) 2020