"We were amazed by the possibilities of the new x-ray machine. In times of war and constant air raid alerts, the reduced time for producing images helps us provide quality services to a larger number of patients. The quality of 3D images, which enable accurate diagnoses, has significantly improved” - Yuliia, radiologist
Hanna, a retiree from Nova Odesa, Mykolaiv region, is familiar with the need for accurate x-ray services close to home. Back before Russia’s full scale invasion, an arm injury failed to be correctly diagnosed by the outdated x-ray machine in her local hospital. She had a multiple fracture, but she had to travel to Mykolaiv city to receive the examination and surgery she needed.
In the second winter of Russia’s war, Hanna found herself visiting the x-ray machine for a second time after injuring her foot slipping on snow. The x-ray machine, which dated from 1986, was unable to accurately diagnose her injury, and Hanna struggled to walk after her first round of treatment. Travel to Mykolaiv city for more accurate diagnostics, as she had done before with her broken arm, was now impossible due to active war in Mykolaiv region.
“So, I had to go to the local hospital again to take another x-ray using the same old machine,” Hanna explains.
The lack of locally available diagnostic tools meant that her treatment for a simple foot injury took two months.
Understanding the critical need for quality x-ray services during wartime, the Nova Odesa Hospital team took action. They applied for a USAID grant to upgrade their 1986 x-ray machine to a Calypso F MTOes. This new machine reduces image production time by ten times, costs half as much, and lowers radiation exposure by half - a huge impact for a hospital that serves three communities, covering nearly 40,000 residents.
“We were amazed by the possibilities of the new x-ray machine. In times of war and constant air raid alerts, the reduced time for producing images helps us provide quality services to a larger number of patients. The quality of 3D images, which enable accurate diagnoses, has significantly improved” says Yuliia, a radiologist at Nova Odesa Hospital.
Hanna was one of the first patients to benefit from the upgrade.
“The old machine was stationary - you had to climb the stairs to get to the table. Inside the machine you were supposed to match your body and a sensor, and move in search of the proper position. in the new machine, I was immediately accommodated for the entire procedure. A sensor was moved to the right place, and an image was produced. They gave me an image in just a few minutes,” she explains.
With USAID support, high-quality X-ray services are now available to thousands of residents of Nova Odesa, Kostiantynivka, and Sukhyi Yelanets communities in Mykolaiv region, provided under the Program of Medical Guarantees.
“I hope I won’t need any more x-rays,” says Hanna, “but now I know their quality is at the top level in our hospital.”
Nova Odesa Hospital in Mykolaiv region is one of four healthcare facilities that have upgraded their diagnostic equipment using grants from the USAID Health Reform Support Activity. By improving the quality of diagnostic equipment at the local level, USAID is making vital healthcare services available to Ukrainians in the places they need them, despite the challenges caused by Russia’s war.
