Thirteen
Years After the Chernobyl Catastrophe
Past
and Future Outlook
Dr. Vasil Pasechnik
Director of the
Medical/Social Centre for the Handicapped Children “Ukraine Revival”
Merited Doctor of Ukraine
Candidate of the
Medical Sciences
- A short historic and geographic summary
Chernihev is an ancient city that is 1300 years old and that has many architectural monuments from the ninth through the thirteenth centuries. The city has a population of 320,000 people. It is located 68 kilometers from the Chernobyl atomic power plant and is the closest provincial capital of those suffering the effects of this catastrophe.
The largest part of the Chernihev province, is a forested terrain that borders Belarus and Russia. Of the 1,300,000 of the population of Chernihev province, one third has been classified as having suffered from the effects of the Chernobyl accident.
- How did this happen?
These are my impressions. At the time of the accident I was the head pediatrician of the Chernihev province. These are also the impressions from first-hand accounts of the liquidators of the effects of the accident.
In the night of April 26 the Chernobyl Catastrophe occurred. This was the most destructive event in the history of atomic electric energy. The population suffered from multiple effects: outward, internal, from radioactive iodide and other radioactive elements. Government officials tried to cover up the accident at first, that’s why no immediate preventative measures were taken to lesson the negative effects on the people.
- How did the state of children’s health change after the Chernobyl catastrophe?
Children’s health has markedly worsened. In the city of Chernihev for 25 years until the accident there was no registered instance of thyroid cancer, but after the accident we have had 22 cases of thyroid cancer in children. Children had five times the increase of thyroid problems, twice the number of respiratory problems, digestive disorders increased one and a half times. There was a 2.3 time increase of nervous system sickness. And 2.5 time increase in circulation problems. Also, there has a marked increase in psychological problems in children. The number of handicapped children in the city of Chernihev increased four fold. In 1985 we had 275 handicapped children. By 1998 this number had increased to 1007.
- What is the future for our children?
According to the data from Ukrainian scientists the prognosis for children’s health is bleak. It is predicted that the instances of blood diseases and cancer will increase. We are awaiting the growth of endocrine problems and psychological disorders, circulatory diseases and natural development.
- What is being done to improve the health of our children?
Foreign countries are helping with humanitarian aid, international organizations are financing a list of programs that are directed to improving the health of the population.
Ukraine has a law regarding the “the status of those victimized by the Chernobyl Catastrophe” and a complex of programs called “Ukraine’s Children” which are providing aid for the needy children and their being brought back to health. Unfortunately, this has only been partially done due to our economic crisis and simply a lack of funding. This has decreased government funding for medical programs, including that for children.
That’s why enthusiastic doctors began organizing rehabilitation centers for seriously ill children on a non-government basis. Three years ago in Chernihev with the help from charitable organizations in Great Britain and from the local government the “Centre for the medical-social rehabilitation of handicapped children ‘Ukraine Revival’” was opened for the treatment of children for disorders with cerebral paralysis and other organic problems in the “first system” from the Chernobyl catastrophe. The Centre is finance 30-40% by the government and 60-70% by charitable funding.
The Centre receives humanitarian aid from the United States (Victor Kubik – the head of the organized efforts) that is shared with other children’s medical centers in the city of Chernihev and the province.
- The Role of International Cooperation in Dealing with the Problems of the Chernobyl Catastrophe.
The thirteen year witness of Ukraine in seeing the results of the Chernobyl catastrophe tells us that it is vitally necessary that we need an effective system for protecting health and also medically and socially rehabilitate the victims, especially children. To deal with these tasks and to lessen the medical-social shock we need a consolidation of international efforts.
The Chernobyl catastrophe – this is a warning for all people on this planet. This should never happen again.