Doctors Shelter in Place at Ukrainian Heart Hospital

 As Russian troops occupy the space just a few kilometers away from his hospital, Borys Todurov, MD, director of the Heart Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in Kyiv, has remained focused on supporting the patients -- and staff -- who have taken shelter at the facility.

Missiles, tanks, and cannons deployed by the Russian military have destroyed parts of Kyiv, creating major obstacles for transportation to and from healthcare facilities throughout the city. Patients and staff at the Heart Institute have remained in place since the start of the invasion, since it's unsafe for people to enter or leave hospital grounds. Most of the patients, staff, and family members at the facility have stayed in the basement -- where they have been since Russia threatened to bomb Kyiv.

"The Heart Institute is totally blocked," Todurov told MedPage Today through a translator. Nurses and doctors at the hospital have worked for several days straight, he said, completing their shifts without any staff changes.

Some of the staff have gathered their family members to take shelter in the basement at the Heart Institute, including Todurov's children, grandchildren, and pregnant daughter-in-law. But other doctors and nurses are completely disconnected from their families, unsure of where they are or how to contact them. "Our nurses, our doctors are worried about their families," Todurov said. "It is very critical."

At the Heart Institute in Kyiv, nurses take a short break in the basement. Photo by the Heart Institute.

Nearly all of the patients, including children, have also been moved to the basement for their protection. However, Todurov said in a video on Sunday (which was translated for MedPage Today) that not all of the patients, including five who were intubated, could be moved underground.

As of Sunday, the Heart Institute had 98 admitted patients, 28 of whom are in the ICU, Todurov said. Prior to the invasion, the hospital might have as many as 170 admitted patients. But because transportation is inaccessible, hospital admissions have come to a halt.

"We cannot admit people with active coronary disease," Todurov said, because there are no ambulances, no other ground transportation, and it is not safe to move around the city. The facility has not yet admitted any patients wounded from the war, but Todurov said that they are ready to do so.

Todurov said he doesn't anticipate being able to restock medications or other medical supplies once they exhaust their short-term supply. He is particularly concerned for patients who have kidney issues, because they may not be able to continue their dialysis treatments if the hospital does not get access to supplies.

Neighbors and volunteers are making food deliveries to the hospital to sustain patients, healthcare workers, and their families. "We are trying our best to keep everyone happy and healthy," Todurov said. "It's very important to listen, to talk and to give hope to people and to say that it will pass," Todurov said. "We will be happy."

"This is our reality," he added. "It's very hard, but at the same time, people in Ukraine have never been so united to fight for freedom."

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/97417