Upgrading rural hospitals is investing in doctors' professional growth

Approximately a thousand patients visit the outpatient clinic daily, and up to 16,000 people are hospitalized annually. The vast majority arrive in emergency states that demand immediate intervention.

Human and material resources are limited here.

“Doctors are working themselves ragged and seeing significantly more patients than the standard allows for,” says Oleksandr Fomenko, the hospital's medical director. According to him, the staffing shortage at the Voznesensk hospital mirrors the one across the region: the staff is filled to about 60% capacity. Young specialists are reluctant to work far from big cities. Experienced personnel are also scarce.

In partnership with the Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk, which is committed to improving access to quality care, UNOPS procured and delivered endoscopic and laparoscopic equipment for the hospital's surgical department. The arrival of modern technology was not only a welcome upgrade but also a chance to turn the staffing situation around.

For patients, the new equipment means less invasive surgeries, faster recovery, and a lower risk of complications. And for young doctors, it’s an opportunity for professional development, even in a small town.

“Minimally invasive surgery is the global standard. The whole world is moving to these methods because they involve minimal incisions and faster patient recovery,” explains Ivan Leskiv, head of the surgical department. 

Along with one other surgeon, he performs here nearly the entire range of urgent and scheduled operations, from appendectomies and gallbladder removals to complex gynecological procedures. The doctors say the new laparoscopic system has completely transformed the quality of their work.

“Our previous laparoscopy tower was so obsolete that comparing it to the new one is like comparing a black-and-white TV to a modern 4K HD screen,” Ivan Leskiv laughs. “The new system offers an entirely different level of image visualization. Plus, it has new automatic functions, like heating and carbon dioxide delivery, which stop the camera from fogging up and save us time on cleaning it. The instruments the surgeon holds haven't changed much, but the coagulation methods to stop bleeding are far more advanced. It’s a whole system: a video camera, equipment for liquid delivery and aspiration, a gas insufflator to create space in the abdominal cavity, and a powerful illuminator. It’s impossible to work without the whole setup if you insert the camera but don't inflate the cavity with gas or don't have light, we simply can't see anything”.

Vlad, 24, came to Voznesensk for his internship after graduating from the Odesa Medical University. He says he’s known since childhood that he wanted to be a surgeon. 

“Right now, my main goal is to soak up as much experience as possible from my senior colleagues. I’m already assisting with operations regularly”, he says. 

Initially, he didn’t see working in a provincial hospital like the best career move, but the hospital is transforming rapidly. All the right conditions for a young specialist's comprehensive development are emerging here: modern medical equipment, instruments, and experienced mentors ready to share their knowledge.

“Raising and guiding new doctors is our professional responsibility,” Ivan Leskiv says confidently.

Within the first few weeks of the new equipment being installed, the surgical team in Voznesensk had already performed over a dozen laparoscopic operations. “It's a small city, and word spreads instantly,” says Ivan Leskiv. “Before, people here would head to Mykolaiv or Pivdennoukrainsk because we didn't have the specialists or equipment, but now they're coming to us”.

The fact that patients are choosing the local hospital signals to young medical professionals that a future outside major cities is possible. More broadly, it shows how investing in modern technology and people can improve access to care at the local level.

About the Project:

This joint project, implemented by UNOPS with financial support from the Government of Denmark and Novo Nordisk, aims to strengthen healthcare facilities in the Mykolaiv region and help them expand the range of medical services. The project consists of two components: with financial support from the Government of Denmark, UNOPS is carrying out repair work in five hospitals in Mykolaiv, and with funding from Novo Nordisk, UNOPS is procuring and delivering priority medical equipment to more than 15 healthcare facilities around the region.