War-battered city of Kherson to open two underground hospitals

Ukraine's southern city of Kherson is creating two underground hospitals — a perinatal center and a clinical hospital. 

The head of Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksander Prokudin, shared photos of the construction sites on Facebook, Rubryka reports.

What's the problem?

Russian forces have consistently shelled Kherson and the surrounding areas since they were liberated from a nine-month Russian occupation in November last year. The situation with the occupiers' attacks on the right bank is so severe that the support to the area is under the control of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Among the latest serious attacks was the Russian shelling of December 4, when Russian forces bombarded a kindergarten in the Shumenskyi district of Kherson.

Also, on November 19, the shelling of Kherson injured four adults and one child. On November 16, Russian occupation forces once again opened mass fire at the center of Kherson, with a 15-year-old girl among the casualties.

Russian forces often target hospitals and kindergartens for attacks. For instance, on November 30, the Russian army attacked the village of Dariivka in the Kherson region, hitting a kindergarten and a hospital, wounding four people.

What's the solution?

Plans are in place to build two underground medical facilities in Kherson. The construction will include a perinatal center with maternity and postnatal units, operating rooms, and intensive care units. The city also plans to build an underground city clinical hospital with modern operating and resuscitation blocks and intensive care units. 

It is reported that the construction of bomb shelters in schools and kindergartens will also be extended.

How does it work?

"We are implementing important projects for all the residents of the region. In Kherson, two underground hospitals will start operating soon. I visited the facilities where work will begin shortly," said Prokudin.

He mentioned that a total of 12 medical institutions on the right bank already have fully equipped shelters.

More than 800 doctors are working in the de-occupied territory of the Kherson region, including medical professionals from other regions of the country. There is a continuous rotation of medical staff.

Rubryka reported that one of the clinics in the Dnipropetrovsk region had arranged an underground shelter with intensive care rooms and a fully equipped operating room.

The National Children's Specialized Hospital "Okhmatdyt" also officially opened a renovated shelter.

Similarly, Ukraine has launched a website called "Iron Shelter," providing information on the condition of shelters. By 2023, 6,847 shelters will be brought into order in Ukraine.