December 2005

In December 2005 we donated a specialized heart monitor to Institut Ohorone Zdorovya Ditie Ta Pidlitkiv (Institute for Protecting the Health of Kids and Teenagers).

Institute Plaque

The doctors start with a normal exam of the child, and if they find that the child has a heart condition that might be in need of operation, they use the EKG that we purchased.

Here you can see a doctor conducting an examination of a patient in the hospital. The equipment is housed in a small room that is specifically used for heart examinations.
The electrodes for the EKG stay on the child for 24 hours, enabling the doctors to get a complete picture of their heart condition. The computer software tracks the heart rate throughout the day, giving a chart that the doctors can examine.

This is valuable for two reasons. First, it helps with an accurate diagnosis, and the doctors are able to determine whether the child needs open heart surgery. And secondly, the doctors are building up a wealth of data that they are using for research.

Here you can see two doctors reviewing the results with a patient, who has the electrodes on his chest.

The institute is in better shape than many of the hospitals in the area. Still, you can see that it is quite different than a similar US institution.

A mother walks with her child, who is a patient in the hospital.

The outside of the hospital, showing the main entrance.

The head doctor that we worked with, who is also a professor.