Zaporizhzhia doctors received two modern artificial lung ventilation devices from Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and Zaporizhstal Steel Works (Metinvest group). In particular, one ventilator was handed over to the Regional Medical Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and the City Hospital of Emergency and Ambulance.
– When Ukraine faced the threat of a pandemic, the state health care system was completely unprepared for the new challenge. There was not enough equipment to help patients with complications from coronavirus – modern ventilators, sample analyzers, as well as protective equipment for doctors and express tests. Rinat Akhmetov was the first to come to the aid of the country. For effective work, the Fund created the project “Fight agaonst COVID-19 in Ukraine”, which became part of the “Rinat Akhmetov – Saving Lives” program. The project has no analogues in the country. This is the largest, systematic and large-scale private initiative aimed at helping public health facilities in the fight against coronavirus. A key element of assistance was the purchase of over 200 state-of-the-art ventilators for state hospitals. After all, it was precisely in ventilators that Ukrainian medicine needed most of all. More than 140 high-quality ventilators from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation have already been delivered to state hospitals in 12 regions of the country, said Natalia Yemchenko, member of the Fund Supervisory Board.
In turn, the CEO of PJSC “Zaporizhstal” Aleksandr Mironenko noted that ventilators from the Fund are among the most modern in the world.
– But the most important thing is that the equipment is easy to use and largely excludes the influence of the human factor. Therefore, the transferred devices can be used immediately after installation, which is very important in an epidemic, when it is necessary to save lives here and now. Let them help doctors treat patients with coronavirus even more effectively”, said Aleksandr Mironenko.
The Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration Vitaliy Bogovin thanked for the help, noting its importance:
– Today, the whole world is fighting against COVID-19. We thank Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for needed help. Equipping resuscitation with ventilators means actually hundreds of saved lives of residents of Zaporizhzhia and the region.
Deputy Mayor of Zaporizhzhia Anatoliy Pustovarov joined his words.
– The importance of ventilators was high even before the coronavirus epidemic, and today they save lives. Therefore, many thanks to Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Moreover, this is no longer first aid to the city. I am sure that it will be easier for doctors to save the lives of Zaporizhzhia citizens, – noted Anatoliy Pustovarov.
The doctors themselves say that they were waiting for such help. Today it is especially needed.
– These are high-class devices. A large half of installed ventilators is outdated. They are not able to rescue critically ill patients with coronavirus. Thank you, – said Oleg Velikiy, deputy chief physician of the emergency hospital.
– Today, the emergency hospital received a modern ventilator. We all very grateful to the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, – added Viktoria Ushakova, Director of the Health Department of the Zaporizhzhia City Council
The devices donated to doctors by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation have a high level of automation. Online training organized by the Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Health helped doctors to master the nuances of working with the equipment. More than 800 doctors from all over the country attended the first webinar, in the second one – more than 1100.
– On behalf of the staff of our hospital, I would like to sincerely thank the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation for the opportunity to study new materials on the treatment of COVID-19 and for ALV devices, – said Yulia Petrenko, the head of the intensive care unit of the emergency and ambulance hospital.