The Medical Center

Here's a shot from the outside of the hospital where our Medical Center is located. I apologize for the black and white shot. I mistakenly forgot that my camera was still on monochrome. It's the end of winter here and the colors have disappeared along with the sun. We have been having a lot of fog so when I checked the photo at the time I took it, I didn't even realize it was black and white.

The Center occupies on long hallway in a wing of the hospital. It is the only place where street children can get medical attention without documents. Ukraine has a socialized medical system and each person is assigned a hospital to go to depending on where they live. (There are private clinics in Kyiv but a person must pay to use them.) To receive medical care, you must show your official documents and passport. Many At-Risk Children or street children do not have these documents and will be turned away at the door if they try to get medical attention. (I have been through this experience with a child I tried to help. It was pretty ugly.) Most of these children would not even consider going to a doctor if they needed it, because they know they will be turned away.

The Medical Center has our own staff directing and running the center and the doctors are not from our staff, but from the hospital itself.

The hallway is dark like most hospitals here, but the walls are lined with children's artwork.


This guy was pretty impressed with my Doc Martins and I was pretty impressed with his punk hair style.
Children from our other centers who are sick are sent to the Medical Center. The Center also helps children who are from At-Risk families.