UNOPS Delivers Generators to Kharkiv Hospitals under UHF-Funded Project

Two medical facilities in Kharkiv – the Emergency Aid and Disaster Medicine Center along with the #17 Municipal Clinical Multiprofile Hospital – received diesel electric generators this summer under a project funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and implemented by UNOPS. UNOCHA and UNOPS representatives visited the recipients to talk about how these items will help them in the coming months.

The Emergency Aid and Disaster Medicine Center in Kharkiv is the region’s central structure supporting the operation of ambulance teams. Around 200 ambulances cover the entire region, responding to calls from citizens. Viktor Zabashta, the Center’s director, noted: “We have received three generators. One of them has been stationed at the Center’s administrative premises, while the others have been allocated to our ambulance stations. Uninterrupted electricity supply is key to our work: we need a power source to support our dispatch services, Telecard system for gathering cardiographic data and GPS tracking for calls and vehicles movement, communication between the central office and the ambulance teams. Much of the equipment in use is electrical and needs to be recharged regularly, which is what the generators at ambulance stations allow to do.”

With these generators, the Center will be able to continue operation regardless of power cuts, responding to emergencies and making sure patients receive the care they need. On average, the Center processes 30,000 calls per month.

The #17 Hospital in Kharkiv is a multiprofile healthcare facility with a strong surgical department, providing various types of healthcare services to residents of the city. Since 2020, it has also been one of the central locations for COVID-19 treatment in the city. The hospital’s Deputy Medical Director Oleksandr Zlyvka stated: 

“The generator we received supports the 9-story building housing the diagnostic department and the therapeutic department with 240 hospital beds which, upon need, can be used as facilities for COVID-19 patients. It is also worth noting it will ensure that elevators stay operational in the event of a blackout. It is critical that reliable electricity supply to our facilities is ensured, so that equipment stays operational, and treatment can continue as planned.”

The project “Ensuring energy stability of hospitals in Ukraine” supported by the UHF will provide a total of 141 generators to hospitals across the country selected by the Ministry of Health. The Kharkiv region has already received five generators and nine more are on their way. The equipment will enhance the hospitals’ resilience and allow them to provide life-saving health services amidst the hostilities, regardless of whether they are connected to the national electrical grid.