Recent achievements of Korosten Inter-Area Medical Diagnostic Center after completion of the Chernobyl Sasakawa Health and Medical Cooperation Project: 1996-2000

摘要

After completion of the humanitarian Chernobyl Sasakawa project in April 1996, we faced the following problems: how to keep the medical staff, the majority of whom are highly qualified specialists; how to supply reagents and consumables for subsequent use; and how to maintain the database and to preserve serum samples and hematological archives. Geographically, the Korosten Inter-Area Medical Diagnostic Center is located close to the center of the radionuclide-contaminated area. In implementing the decisions of the Zhitomir Regional Health Care Department, which are directed toward further examinations of the population exposed to the Chernobyl disaster, the Diagnostic Center has accepted patients from the northern area of Zhitomir region, Ukraine. The patients are referred by local physicians and come with written recommendations. The Diagnostic Center is equipped with modern ultrasonic and endoscopic instruments and blood analyzers. Highly qualified specialists who participated in the Chernobyl SasakawaProject from 1991 to 1996 are continuously working in our center. The main items of medical equipment were donated by the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation. The problem with shortage of reagents has partially been solved since 1997 owing to special support from the Basic Human Needs (BHN) Association in Tokyo, Japan.