Kharkiv military hospital expects to raise UAH 7 M in six months to repair CT scanner

This was stated in an interview with Ukrinform by the head of the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region, Colonel of the Medical Forces Eduard Khoroshun.

“In November, we need to replace the tube [a component of a CT scanner that emits X-rays] in our [device], the resource of the nodes is running out. Life extension means replacing the tube, which costs more than UAH 7 million. This is an option, but not the best one, given the wear and tear of other components. The goal is to raise at least enough money for the tube and at most for a new machine,” Khoroshun said.

According to the head of the hospital, the existing CT scanner had been in operation for a very short time, but in heavy duty mode.

“We did the math – in 15 months, it worked as well as the previous old one did in 14 years. The load on the CT scanner is enormous. It helps to save lives, sometimes without it we would be like without hands,” Khoroshun explained.

According to him, according to modern protocols used in the world for the treatment of combat injuries, doctors should perform pan-CT scans on the wounded – diagnostics of the whole body. Mobile surgical teams provide first aid, and thorough examinations are carried out in hospitals and sometimes find unnoticed injuries that would further complicate the condition of the wounded.

“There have already been two cases when a shrapnel cut off the carotid artery and stopped the blood flow. We saw this on a CT scan – the location of the injury is such that it cannot be removed by a classic operation. So we performed unique surgeries (special stents that actually prosthetize the carotid artery and restore blood and oxygen supply to the brain) and saved the soldiers,” noted Khoroshun.

According to the head of the hospital, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the military medical center in Kharkiv has had two CT scanners. One of them was transferred from Mykolaiv in 2022.

“The other one was made in 2007, and it’s a used one. The tube has already been changed twice. There are certain medical and technical requirements for the premises, we have fulfilled them and received a new cool American CT scanner. And thank God, because in a few months our old one just didn’t start up one day,” the surgeon said.

As reported on the Facebook page of the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region, the medical facility launched a fundraiser for a new CT scanner in January. They plan to raise UAH 30 million, and currently have about UAH 2 million in the bank. The hospital’s doctors, who at the end of last year won the prestigious Borys Paton National Prize for the development of innovative methods of anesthesia and surgical care, transferred to this fundraiser the entire prize they received for winning the competition (UAH 50,000 each, a total of eight members of the development team received and transferred UAH 400,000).

As reported by Ukrinform, on the evening of March 29, Kharkiv suffered a massive attack by the Shahed, which resulted in injuries to patients and staff, and damage to several buildings.