CCCF Supports Cardiovascular Research Projects in Ukraine

Through donations of medical supplies and equipment, the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) of the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund (CCCF) has supported smaller regional hospitals throughout Ukraine over the past 20 years. It was through the generous support of our donors, that we were able to donate a transport incubator and several ambulances, in 2009 and 2010, to several hospitals throughout Ukraine. In the past, we had also made a significant impact on neonatal health by shipping many much-needed incubators as well as, portable phototherapy devices to these same small regional hospitals, along with medical education in neonatology for the health care providers.

Recently, however, we have undertaken some changes in the direction of our charitable activities. The CCCF Board of Directors recognized that the last decade has seen many changes in the health sector in Ukraine, and it was decided that our approach to supporting healthcare in Ukraine required some re-examination and reorientation. We have shifted to a model where hospital equipment is purchased in Ukraine. Along with this change, we have instituted a grant-giving process for specific projects proposed by the individual hospitals.

To this end, the CCCF has instituted a grant-giving process whereby we asked the hospitals to submit project proposals that would positively affect the people and the community that they serve. The Medical Advisory Committee and CCCF Board evaluated the proposals and donated grants in the range of $25,000 to $30,000 to implement these hospital initiatives.

The response to our request for project proposals was overwhelming, and MAC selected six small projects from four hospitals. Coincidentally, all the selected projects were in the area of cardiology, so we sought the expertise of Dr. George Rewa. A local cardiologist and also one of our consultants, Dr. Rewa reviewed and prioritized the projects, and we followed his advice on how we funded each project. The successful projects are being funded at hospitals in Ivankiv, (17 km from the Chornobyl zone), in Zbarazh, Ternopil and Halych in Western Ukraine. Each of these projects involves both the purchase of specific equipment and an educational component. Moving forward, our involvement will consist of monitoring for continuity and ongoing effectiveness of these projects, and provide a report after the successful completion of each project.

Dr. Rewa commented to our group that ischemic heart disease has become a world-wide epidemic.  Previously, it was primarily a problem in developed countries, but as longevity increases and as Western habits spread, this cardiac disease and deaths resulting from it have also increased in Ukraine. Dr. Rewa was pleased to see that the Ukrainian Cardiac Society is interested in improving the cardiac health of the population at the local level. In one of the selected proposals, Dr. Rewa commented that the Zbarazh group clearly outlines that 50% of health care gains come from lifestyle, 20% from the community situation, 20% from socio-economic factors and only 10% from organized medical care.

The projects we selected to support, including a large blood pressure monitoring study in Ivankiv, stress that public health initiatives such as a healthy lifestyle, no smoking and no alcohol abuse are very important. The major portion of the responsibility for the prevention or improvement of an acquired disease is in the hands of the individual patient. This idea is reflected in the selected project at the Ternopil Urgent Clinic which will study screening methods for heart attacks. The purchased equipment to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram for this hospital is relevant to improving diagnostic possibilities, and it is hoped that this will lead to better treatment decisions and translate to fewer deaths. 

The Halych project aims to decrease deaths from cardiac disease through early diagnosis and monitoring of at-risk patients. They provided statistics that show that in their population, high blood pressure affects 31% adults and 52.2% elderly, and ischemic heart disease is seen in 20% adults and 41% elderly.

By funding these projects, the intent of CCCF and MAC is to work with the hospitals and to gather evidence-based outcome data from their screening methods, diagnosis and treatment of individuals at risk for cardiac disease. This will ultimately enable us to compare results from the four institutions we support, and will provide information on methods to improve the cardiovascular health of the citizens of these communities.

In the future, we are looking to continue our grant-giving process and have already lined up a few projects to support for next year. One such project involves shortening the time that children spend under anesthetic when they undergo orthopaedic surgery. We are hoping to provide the Ternopil Children’s Hospital with portable X-ray equipment to enable a shortened time in the Recovery Room. More recently, we received a request from the Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital whose neonatal centre services the needs of all of Western Ukraine. The neonatal centre must urgently replace some of its diagnostic ultrasound equipment.

It is only through generous donations that we are able to continue our work with these hospitals in Ukraine!

With your support, we will make a difference! Thank you in advance for your anticipated support of our medical projects!

Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund

2118-A Bloor St. W., Suite 200

Toronto, ON M6S 1M8

PHOTOS

1 - Neonatal incubator donated to Lviv Regional Clinical Hospital

2 - Medical personnel of Halych Central Hospital stand behind cardiovascular equipment donated by CCCF