Doesn’t Uzhgorod need a pediatric surgery? Doctors are outraged (TEXT OF THE APPEAL)

Uzhgorod doctors are sounding the alarm: the city wants to close the Pediatric Surgery department, which serves about 52,700 children from birth to 18 years. It is learned that they plan to liquidate the department by reducing the number of children’s surgical beds under the order of Uzhgorod city health department number 87 dd. 20.09.2013, instead of, logically, to include this branch into the structure of the city children’s hospital – the Zaholovok.com.ua reported.

This is stated in the open letter to the Governor of Transcarpathia Oleksandr Ledyda, the regional council chairman Ivan Baloha, the regional prosecutor Victor Korban, the head of the Health Department Roman Shnitser, the Surgeon General of Transcarpathia Vasyl Rusyn, and Uzhgorod mayor Victor Pogorelov.

Here is the appeal of the doctors:

"Dear leaders!  The staff of the Pediatric Surgery Department of Uzhgorod central clinical hospital ask you to take urgent measures to prevent the downsize of the Pediatric Surgery Department in the regional center. This is what will happen by the reduction of the number of children’s surgical beds (so-called reorganization) under the order of Uzhgorod city health department number 87 dd. 20.09.2013, instead of, logically, to include this department into the structure of the city children’s hospital.

The Department of Pediatric Surgery for 30 beds was opened as the interdistrict one on 06.01.1998 to provide around the clock routine and urgent care to children of Uzhgorod city, Uzhgorod, Perechyn and Velyky Berezny districts (the order dd. 31.12.1997 № 86-0). As of today, the number of children served by the department of pediatric surgery, is around 52,700 children aged 0-18 years.

It is also important that it is a clinical department, because there is a course of pediatric surgery of UzhNU here.

As of 2006, the bedspace was reduced by 5 units.

In the period from 01.01.2006 to 31.06.2013, the department was a part of Uzhgorod City Perinatal Center.

Today, the pediatric surgery department has 25 beds: 15 – surgical, 5 – urological, 5 – trauma. Under the regulating orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the bedspace and rates are not exceeded.

The planned reduction of 10 beds is, in fact, the liquidation of the department. Uzhgorod will be the only regional center in Ukraine without a pediatric surgery department.

The order of Uzhgorod city health department on reorganization (№ 87 dd. 20.09.2013) jeopardizes adequate and timely provision of surgical-trauma care for children. 

The department staff ask to look into this situation and consider the issue of transfer of the pediatric surgery department under the subordination of the City Children’s Hospital, which corresponds to the direction of health reform to establish a multidisciplinary children’s hospital in the regional capital."

30.09.2013

The Head of the Pediatric Surgery Department:

S. Herbut

Doctors of the department:

O. Polosenko, Ya. Izay, V. Zaitsev, O. Tehza, N. Stan

The Chief Nurse:

Yu. Stehura"