Dear Members and Colleagues,
EGPRN Ukraine national representative, long time EGPRN member Dr. Pavlo Kolesnyk has a project about family medicine clinic for refugees in Uzhgorod-Ukraine.
In the below email he shares the details of the project and kindly requests you to share the project with your communities and help in future fundraising efforts.
EGPRN supports this effort to express our solidarity with the Ukrainian family physicians and people and all human beings who suffer from this war.
EGPRN Executive Board
Dear friends and colleagues,
It has been over 3 month of war in my country. Since yesterday night unfortunately our region can't be concidered as a safe one as far as they have been bombed the railway station of Transcarpathian region...
But life is going on....
I am sharing with you my project regarding an International Family Medicine Refugee Clinic in Uzhhorod.
I will be grateful if you could share our project with your communities and help us in our future fundraising efforts.
I have attached the following:
1. Project Description
2. Clinic Staff (Appendix 1)
3. Schematic Design of clinic space (Appendix 2)
4. Repairing Estimate (Appendix 3)
5. Financial Projections (Appendix 4)
6. Photos of where the clinic would be located (Photo 1, photo 2)
Here is some background information
As you know I am a Head of the FM and Outpatient department and for years was involved in the Family Practice Residency Training Program at Uzhhorod National University. I teach senior students and the residents at the university and previously directed a municipal clinic facility which provided "hands on" experience for the residents. The building was owned by the city but I coordinated with non-profits and other organizations to remodel and furnish the clinic. Then, about 4 years ago, the city of Uzhhorod decided to take back the facility, although I was able to keep some of the furnishing and medical equipment.
During this time without a facility, I continued to provide academic instruction to the resident physicians on a daily basis. Then I was told by the University officials that they would provide a clinic for my faculty department to use in the training of the students and residents. In Family Medicine, it is very important that physicians spend most of their residency hours in a clinic setting. It is the best way to learn- by seeing, observing, touching, etc. I was excited about this clinic and visited the site daily during the last year to oversee the remodeling process. This new clinic did not materialize due to legal issues regarding the land use rules. About the same time, the war broke out. So I was back to online instruction for his residents.
When refugees began to arrive in Uzhhorod, I utilized the team of volunteer residents to visit the various shelters and assess their needs and treatment. I also succeeded in utilizing refugee Family Practice physicians from the East to help with the refugee care. We have received space at the Children's Hospital to provide services for the refugees, but it turned out to be one inadequate room. We were able to have a small space for dispensing medication at the "Owl's Nest." In all of these efforts, we used our resident physicians, but providing adequate examination and care can not occur on a gym floor or in a dormitory room. These locations are neither sanitary nor private.
We have located a building where a refugee clinic could be established. The location is close to or right next to the three dormitories with (900) refugees, the Youth Palace- "Padiun" youth center with 270 refugees and the sports arena "Yunist", a sports arena, with 500 refugees. Taking into consideration some other refugee shelters nearby, there is an opportunity to be within walking distance for over 2000 refugees. The building has businesses on the ground level and residential apartments on the other 7-8 floors.
To purchase the 134.93 square meter space the cost was 130,000 euros. We succeeded in collecting the major amount from our European colleagues who have entrusted us to use the money for the purpose of the refugees' medical help. Dr Ramptons' family from the US donated 30 thousand US dollars. That "repairing" cost is estimated at 48,500 euros or about $51,000 in USD.
We would like to request more funds to help with the construction of the space. We provided a drawing showing a waiting room, bathroom, exam rooms plus a larger exam training room for the residents. I estimate that the construction would take place in two phases and the first phase would open in about 2 months. The entire facility would be available to serve refugees in 6 months. We have an architect and someone to do the construction available now.
I am hopeful that my friends from the whole world will be able to support our project. This is a win-win situation for all of us. The refugees will have a place to go to receive medical care, the residents will be provided opportunities to increase their abilities as physicians, the site is located very favorably, and this will provide a long term solution to a long term concern of taking care of refugees. We can continue to use funds to improve their living conditions and meet the other goals with the additional funds.
The facility could also be a command center for the Uzhhorod Refugee Fund Team in Ukraine - a place to store items, meet to make assignments, and finalize plans.
This is your decision, but I feel it is a wise use of funds and would provide stability to a chaotic situation.
Looking forward to getting your reply.
Warm regards,
Pavlo Kolesnyk
EGPRN National Representative
