Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the western Ukrainian city of Lviv has become a center for internally displaced people who have migrated from all around Ukraine to seek safety and medical care.
Saint Nicholas Children’s Hospital (SNCH) has stood during this time as an inspiration of healthcare resilience amidst formidable challenges due to the dedication of its health workforce and the incredible perseverance of its physicians and nurses.
SNCH has seen its surgical cases increase by almost three times during the last two years due to the ongoing conflict and is receiving patients from all over the country for general pediatric surgery, neurosurgery, cardiac, ENT, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and oncology procedures. They are one of only two tertiary burn centers in the entire country, as well as a medical hub for mine explosive injuries and war trauma, which can cause a lifetime of disability or death if not treated effectively and quickly.
The Ukraine Children’s Action Project and KidsOR are dedicated to solving this glaring gap in care and ensuring that essential infrastructure and resources are provided to the SNCH.
Currently, there is space for five operating rooms to be reconstructed at SNCH, which is lying empty and unused due to a lack of resources. Over 50 trained pediatric surgeons and anesthetists are working with a starling lack of resources to care for these children.
Our vision is to raise funds for two new operating rooms for children, a pre-operative and family waiting area, and a post-operative recovery ward, all powered by solar energy. When complete, these operating rooms will enable SNCH to increase its capacity by 30% and provide an additional 3,650 general and emergency surgical procedures for children every year.
Learn more about KidsOR here.
