A wounded combat medic announced a hunger strike because of the conditions in the Odesa hospital: «There is mold on the walls, and the food is like glue»

A military medic shows the food they are fed during treatment in a psychiatric hospital, a screenshot from a video by Petr Konoply

Petro Konoplia, a combat medic of the 35th marine brigade, announced a hunger strike due to the poor conditions of his stay in Odesa Regional Psychiatric Hospital №2. The management of the hospital and the regional military administration say that the institution has no funds.

In the published video, the paramedic complains that the patients of the institution are fed overcooked food that looks like glue, and there is mold on the walls of the wards.

The daily menu, which is fed to the military, consists of the cheapest products without fresh vegetables and meat. The paramedic called this food disgusting and refused to continue consuming it, announcing a hunger strike.

In addition, the video also shows the condition of the wards themselves, where there are cracks and mold on the walls.

«Soldiers who are defending the country now should not tolerate such treatment. Why do I think I have the right to rate hospital food? Because during these almost three years of war, I received four injuries, I was in completely different hospitals and rehabilitation centers, and they feed me normally, deliciously. There are vegetables, there are fruits. Therefore, when I get to the hospital, I understand that I have come to eat in order to return to the service full of strength,» said Petro Konoplia.

The management of the hospital, in response to the accusations of the military man, declares insufficient funding and the inability to provide conditions for a large number of military men due to the incomplete renovation of the building.

The head of the third separate department of the Odesa Regional Mental Health Center, Stanislav Servetskyi, commented to Suspilne. Odesa said that only now the facility will officially begin cosmetic repairs, but the hospital has no money for proper food.

«Meals are provided at the civilian level, not at the military level. The fighters must have food according to other recipes, at more expensive prices. We currently do not have such a financial opportunity, so we are also solving this problem,» said the doctor.

The Odesa RMA also reacted to the situation, noting that the institution is financially limited, and the cost of daily food for the military is too low — only 100 hryvnias.

«As of today, the head of the institution has been instructed to calculate the financial possibility of increasing the cost of the military's daily meals. I think that this calculation will be made during the day and, of course, the quality of food and the caloric content of this food will be increased to the maximum possible level during the week. According to preliminary estimates, the cost can be increased by one and a half times,» noted the first deputy head of Odesa RMA Oleksandr Kharlov.

We will remind you that another rehabilitation department may appear on the basis of one of Mykolaiv's hospitals, where military personnel will be able to use prosthetics services for free.