The hospital director has decided not to close the maternity ward in Pivdennoukrainsk

Yuzhnoukrainsk City General Hospital. Photo from the hospital’s Facebook page

At the Yuzhnoukrainsk City General Hospital, Chief Medical Officer Serhiy Lupov has revoked his order to downsize the maternity and paediatric wards.

He announced this on his Facebook page.

The hospital director signed the document on 3 July. According to Serhii Lupov, he revoked the order following joint efforts with the city authorities and the new head of the military administration.

«As hospital director, I fully understand that these are not merely organisational units. This is a matter of social security, the future of our community and the health of our children. A young satellite town of a nuclear power station such as Pivdennoukrainsk must have its own maternity and paediatric wards. This is not a luxury, but a necessity. This decision was made possible thanks to the support of the mayor, Valerii Onufriienko, the city council secretary, Denys Kravchenko, and the arrival of the head of the military administration, Ivan Kukhta. Through our joint efforts, we managed to find a way to revoke the order to cut these departments and preserve these vital wards,» wrote Serhii Lupov.

Revocation of the order to cut hospital wards. Photo from Serhiy Lupov’s Facebook page

According to the hospital director, there are still issues to be resolved regarding stable funding, recruiting medical staff and improving the quality of medical services.

«There is still a lot of work ahead. We need to ensure stable funding, recruit medical staff and improve the quality of medical services. But most importantly, we have taken the first step towards saving the hospital. Unfortunately, there are those whose actions or inaction are jeopardising the future of our hospital,» emphasised Serhii Lupov.

As a reminder, plans had previously been made in Pivdennoukrainsk to close the maternity and paediatric wards from September due to the medical facility’s financial difficulties.

After the order was shared on social media, the hospital’s director, Serhii Lupov, commented on the situation himself. He stated that the decision was not linked to the administration’s desire to cut back on medical care, but rather to the consequences of healthcare reform, the demographic situation and the requirements of the National Health Service of Ukraine.

However, the hospital’s director, Serhii Lupov, refused to take part in the work of a specially formed group set up to find ways out of the hospital’s crisis.

Furthermore, the hospital is requesting that 8.6 million hryvnias in financial aid, which it received from the local community on a repayable basis, be written off.

We would also like to remind you that the President of Ukraine has signed a decree establishing the Pivdennoukrainsk City Military Administration for the Voznesensk District of the Mykolaiv Region.

On Friday, 3 July, the head of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, Vitalii Kim, introduced Ivan Kukhta, the head of the Pivdennoukrainsk City Military Administration, to the regional council, representatives of law enforcement agencies and military leadership. One of the tasks set was to enhance the community’s defence capabilities.