Copenhagen, 19 July 2024

Eight children who were receiving treatment for cancer at Okhmatdyt hospital have been medically evacuated to Germany alongside their chaperones. The largest children's hospital in Ukraine suffered extensive damage last week amid the ongoing war.

These are some of the most vulnerable paediatric patients, in need of urgent care, both physical and mental; 2 of them are in a critical condition.

Their gruelling, more than 24-hour journey began on Wednesday, 17 July, and took them in a convoy of ambulance busses from Okhmatdyt hospital in Kyiv to Lviv in western Ukraine. They then proceeded across the border to Rzeszów in Poland, from where a Norwegian aircraft flew them to various locations in Germany to receive the necessary care.

"Sofia is only 4 months old and was in a critical condition when I saw her," said Jonathan Vinke, WHO Technical Consultant on Critical Care Patient Transfers. "I was worried that she wouldn't survive the 720 km-long journey, but thanks to the dedication of all involved, I am relieved to say we were able to stabilize her in time to make the flight to Germany, where she will receive the urgent care she needs. This job can be tough, but it's moments like these that make it worthwhile. This delicate patient transfer wouldn't have been possible without the team effort of multiple international and Ukrainian organizations, all supporting the Ministry of Health."

Among the 8 children is 3-year-old Dmytro, who was evacuated with his mother, Oksana, to continue his treatment. Dmytro was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of bone marrow cancer, just over a month ago.

Dmytro was receiving treatment when the hospital was hit on 8 July. Several floors of the hospital were severely damaged, disrupting the facility's operations and affecting its ability to provide critical care to paediatric patients.

"We've been coming to this hospital since early June. We had great hope for his treatment here," Oksana told WHO. "At the time of the attack, we were in the hospital. It was a shock. Now, the hospital's capacity is limited, so we are going abroad. The fight against this disease has been ongoing, and it's very difficult. I'm traveling with my son, and we also have 2 older boys, 13 and 7 years old, who are staying with my husband in Ukraine."

WHO has been working closely with Okhmatdyt hospital ensuring it can provide life-saving care for thousands of children. This has included providing 2 generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply, donating assistive technologies to support physical rehabilitation, and donating medicines and other medical products to hospitals that received patients from Okhmatdyt following the attack on 8 July.

"The Ukrainian health system and health workers have been showing incredible resilience. For the past 2 years, WHO/Europe, with EU [European Union] funding, has helped the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to manage medical evacuations to countries within the European Union and beyond," said Ihor Perehinets from the Health Emergencies Programme at WHO/Europe. "We are proud to have contributed to building a sustainable and efficient system that can be activated at short notice to save lives."

On 8 July, the largest children's hospital in Ukraine was hit by a rocket, killing 2 adults and injuring over 50 people, many of them children. The strike severely damaged several departments, including the intensive care units and oncology and surgical wings, and completely destroyed the toxicology and traumatology departments. Hundreds of children, including those undergoing dialysis treatment, were evacuated onto the surrounding streets.

Dr Oleh Yanchuk is a paediatric surgeon at Okhmatdyt. "I have been working at Okhmatdyt for years," he told WHO. "When Kyiv was under attack at the start of this war in 2022, I brought my entire family to the hospital, because it was safer than staying at home. I lived in the hospital, with my family, and worked day and night to care for my young patients and their families. The hospital became my castle. But just last week my castle was destroyed, where I thought my family and my patients were safe. Physically, I am fine, not injured. But emotionally, I am ruined. I have lost my castle of safety."

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