The Department of Health of the Odesa Regional State Administration commented on the situation with food in one of the regional specialized medical institutions, UNN reports.
Details
We are talking about the Odesa Psychiatric Hospital. Patients of the hospital complained about poor quality food and poor conditions of stay in the medical institution.
The Department of Health explained that the hospital had recently received a new director. He inherited a medical facility with many problematic issues, including payroll arrears (which were paid off at the expense of the regional budget), old premises, and unsatisfactory conditions for patients.
"The regional administration and the management of the medical institution faced this reality. For a long time, the hospital has not been repaired, equipped or modernized," the statement said.
In 2023, at the initiative of the Odesa RMA, repair work began. As of now, the repair work is ongoing, in particular, over the past year, the windows have been replaced, the roof has been repaired, the sewage system has been repaired, and the equipment of the wards is gradually improving.
"As for the problem with food quality, we are currently considering switching the hospital to catering, as in some other medical institutions, which may take some time due to the mandatory tender and other procedures. Until the transition is completed, Odesa oblast business representatives are already helping to improve the quality of the patients' meals. Entrepreneurs supply additional products, including meat, vegetables, and fruits, to the medical institution. For this, the Health Department expresses its sincere gratitude to the conscious business," the statement reads.
The DoH added that the inspection of the medical facility will be completed by September 1 to identify both objective and subjective problems related to possible violations of duties by employees.
Recall
Recently, combat medic Petro Konoplya went on a hunger strikedue to poor food and conditions in a psychiatric hospital in Odesa region. In his social media posts, Konoplya noted that patients are fed food that looks more like glue, and the walls in the wards are covered with mold. The Odesa RMA responded promptly to the scandal, and within a day the hospital turned into a sanatorium, at least in terms of food, patients say.