АСПЕКТИ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ МЕДИЧНОЇ ДОПОМОГИ У ХОДІ ПРОВЕДЕННЯ АТО НА СХОДІ УКРАЇНИ В 2014 – 2016 рр.

Abstract

The article highlights quality and timeliness of provision of health care for the Armed Forces troops in the initial period of Anti-Terrorist Operation (2014-2016). It also reflects problems of health care that occurred at the beginning of Russian aggression in the East of Ukraine and flaws in the medical corps organization that arose during the years of Ukrainian independence because of inefficient reorganizations and optimizations in Armed Forces of Ukraine that took place under conditions of chronic underfunding of the medical corps. The article states that as of the end of 2013 medical equipment, majority of which arrived in Soviet time to provide medical divisions of military units and associations and military medical establishments, was morally and physically outdated. Medical and sanitary equipment has long served the established terms and used resources, mostly written off, and even when resources were available the equipment still was in a non-working condition. The availability of medicines and dressings was insufficient, there were no individual medical aids. This as well as lack of medical staff and insufficient experience and skills in military-field surgery and tactical medicine affected greatly the quality of medical care. Furthermore, timeliness of medical care did not fall within the time frame of the “golden hour”. That can be explained by the imperfect system of evacuation and medical care, lack of sanitary transport and personal protective equipment. The article analyzes the main causes of mortality of the wounded, offers respective conclusions on improvement of first aid on the battlefield. It also researches the experience of organization of health care and integration into a common medical area using the example of Lugansk region. The article notes the contribution of volunteering organizations, Red Cross Society and humanitarian assistance from foreign countries to the establishment of the system of health care and its full functioning. The conclusions point out the necessity of implementation of the Military Medical Doctrine – code of rules and principles of military medicine.