Life-saving support: how European investments gave a second life to an Odesa

According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine’s data, as of October 2024, 226 medical facilities had been completely destroyed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, and another 1,685 have been damaged to varying degrees.

Restoring medical infrastructure is crucial for ensuring proper medical care, especially in times of war. In particular, the European Investment Bank, the EU bank, is helping Ukraine through its recovery programmes in this area. One example is City Hospital №8 in Odesa.

The long-awaited overhaul

Odesa City Hospital №8 outpatient department was overhauled under the Ukraine Early Recovery Programme. Over its 75-year history, the medical institution has evolved from a small outpatient clinic for residents of the city’s remote districts to a full-fledged city hospital with outpatient and inpatient departments equipped with 180 beds.

For 47 years, no major repairs had been carried out in the facility. The lack of funding, the age of the building, and the seaside climate and soil led to a significant deterioration of the medical facility.

With funding from the EU, the hospital was thoroughly renovated. The exterior of the building was insulated, re-roofed, and the windows were replaced. Inside, the offices were completely redesigned, and new furniture and technical equipment were installed. All utility systems were updated from scratch: heating, water supply, sewerage, ventilation and electricity systems. Each medical room was redesigned, the Internet connectivity established, and the fire alarm and video surveillance systems were modernised.

"Some patients now don’t believe we are a municipal clinic and say we look like a top private medical facility. It’s because of the repair work that’s been done so well." says Mariia Bobkova, Deputy Director for Development of General and Clinical Matters of Odesa City Hospital № 8, who has been working there for seventeen and a half years.

"Now our doctors work and provide care in comfortable and appropriate conditions," adds Mariia Bobkova.

According to the data collected by the city of Odesa, as of the beginning of 2024, 85,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have applied to local social security authorities and received their IDP certificates since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022. The majority of them are from Kherson, Mykolaiv and Donetsk Oblasts.

Since 2014, almost 5,000 internally displaced persons have received medical care at Odesa City Hospital № 8, and there are seven IDPs working at the hospital today. Among them is Pavlo Berdov, a doctor from Kherson Oblast with 11 years of experience in surgery, orthopaedics and traumatology.

55 days in occupation and a new job

Pavlo’s life is tightly connected with the south of Ukraine. He was born in Crimea and moved with his parents to a village on the left bank of the Kherson Oblast. Both territories are now temporarily occupied by Russia.

The full-scale war made adjustments to the doctor’s work. He had to remove fragments after mine-blast injuries. Now, there are many internally displaced persons among his patients. Pavlo admits that he often has to be a psychologist as well – to listen, show compassion and support.

Like many others, he did not believe Russia would decide to launch a full-scale invasion until the very last moment. Due to the proximity to the temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian troops quickly occupied the towns and villages of Kherson Oblast. It was dangerous to go to the territory controlled by Ukraine, as the occupiers shot at civilian cars. The Berdov family spent 55 days under occupation.

They decided to leave on Easter because, at that time, the Russian army began preparing the ground for a pseudo-referendum and forced population mobilisation. The drive was difficult – overnight driving, mined roadsides, and the realisation that you were leaving everything you’ve spent your life working for behind. Pavlo recalls the deep sadness he felt, not knowing where to go and unsure they would make it out of there. When they finally saw the Ukrainian flag, people started crying from happiness in the car.

Pavlo chose Odesa for relocation because of its climate and proximity to his home. He soon after found a job and within a week started working at Odesa City Hospital № 8.

EU investments support the transition to European medical standards

Pavlo joined the hospital team during the renovation, so he has seen the striking changes from the inside. The outpatient department now has a modern surgical unit with five specialised rooms: a doctor's office, two multifunctional operating rooms, a casting (plaster) room, and a junior medical assistant's office. Everything is arranged to meet European standards, with the correct zoning for medical procedures, storage of medicines and supplies.

"The hospital has changed tremendously! It has been completely renovated and now has everything we need".

"Everything is now as it should be according to sanitary and epidemiological requirements because, before the renovation, there was a lack of space. The most important thing is that we can now help more patients daily," says Pavlo.

Patients notice the changes, while the hospital management and the doctor continue to work on improving and achieving European medical standards. However, there are challenges along the way.

"The biggest problem I face is that many people still live in the post-Soviet past and trust outdated, ineffective and even unproven methods of treatment. We talk preventively with patients every day. The only way forward is to abandon the old approaches and move towards the development of a modern European model of medicine," concludes Pavlo.

On route to European standards 

The European Investment Bank (EIB) plays a crucial role in recovering and rebuilding Ukraine's critical infrastructure. Through its three recovery programmes, the EIB has provided €640 million to modernise hospitals, schools, transport networks, and other critical infrastructure across the country. Odesa Oblast in particular has seen 28 facilities restored or are currently under reconstruction as part of the EIB programmes, totalling EUR 58,1 million.

More than 120 Ukrainian communities are participating in these programmes, which are the result of joint and diligent work by the EIB and the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, as well as the Government of Ukraine, in particular the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories and the Ministry of Finance, with technical assistance from UNDP. This support has enabled Ukraine to gradually rebuild and modernise its critical infrastructure, creating new opportunities for its citizens, even amid war. Not only does this improve the quality of services Ukrainians receive, but it also helps bring them closer to European standards, laying a solid foundation for the country's reconstruction and sustainable development.

*as of November 2024