Even the youngest are victims of the brutal fighting in Ukraine. According to the UN, more than 70 children have been killed since the Russian invasion began. A report from the Zaporizhia Children’s Hospital.
In the children’s hospital in Zaporizhia, 13-year-old Milena is writhing in pain. A bullet shredded her mouth and tongue, and several vertebrae were injured. Milena comes from Mariupol, the port city in southern Ukraine that has been under siege by the Russian army for weeks.
Like so many others, her family tried to flee the constant bombardment in Mariupol. “Children” was written on a sign on their car. Nevertheless, her vehicle was fired upon by Russian soldiers, and fortunately, apart from Milena, no one from her family was injured. The same soldiers who shot Milena then took her to a hospital, says the mother, who does not want to give her name.
Milena will recover completely, the doctors say. In the bed next to her, however, little Vladislav is struggling with death. The five-year-old was shot in the stomach as his family tried to flee the advancing troops from their village of Polohy, between Mariupol and Zaporizhia. Neither mother nor father can take care of Vladislav, they are in other clinics with serious injuries. A ventilator keeps the boy alive; the doctors fear that he will not survive the night.
Children’s hospital in Zaporizhia still relatively safe
“We have children with head injuries, amputations, perforated abdomen and broken bones,” says chief physician Yuriji Borsenko. “I don’t think anyone wants to see what we’re seeing here.” The clinic takes in children from the fiercely contested areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
The city of Zaporizhia, 250 kilometers northwest of Mariupol, is still relatively safe, although there is fighting in the area and explosions can sometimes be heard in the distance. But the hospital is preparing for the worst: yellow tape on the window panes is intended to prevent them from shattering in a blast, sandbags are piled up in the corners and a shelter with metal beds has been set up in the basement.
The most serious cases from the neonatal intensive care unit have already been moved to the basement, because the babies cannot be brought to safety so quickly with the necessary equipment when the alarm goes off. Almost two weeks old Mischa is lying there. His face and fists clench like he’s about to cry. He was born in Tokmak, south of Zaporizhia, while the city was being shelled. The birth was complicated and Mischa could not be properly supplied with oxygen. He has brain damage and breathing problems and will probably be disabled for the rest of his life.
Doctors in Zaporizhia have been taking care of injured children since 2014
The hospital’s doctors have experience with war injuries: they have been caring for children injured in the fighting in Donbass in eastern Ukraine since 2014. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24, their numbers have increased dramatically and staff are working around the clock, says Ivan Anikin, head of the neonatal unit. For safety reasons, he now always takes his 14-year-old daughter to the clinic.
The screams of pain from young patients can often be heard in the hospital corridors. Most of the girls and boys admitted will be permanently disabled, the doctors report. Just like 15-year-old Masha from a nearby village. She was walking home with her mother and sister on March 13, a beautiful sunny day, when a rocket landed right next to them. The mother threw herself over the daughters, all three survived. But Masha lost her right leg and her right arm is badly injured. “After four operations, Masha is doing much better,” says her grandmother Valentyna Fetschchenko. “But she panics as soon as she hears a loud noise.”
Source: Stern
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
