Navigating the Medical System in Ukraine

We have had some interesting experiences with the medical system here in Ukraine in the past 2 years we have lived here. Nothing crazy, just different due to a different culture, different way of doing things, different language etc...
But, with baby #2 on the way, we realized that even though we thought we knew how to navigate the system- we really have no idea what we are doing or how to do it.
I will just give you some interesting examples:
- in the US, your doctor's office keeps a file/chart about you; in Ukraine, the patient keeps their own chart and is expected to bring it to every visit (one time I forgot to bring Solomiya's chart and the doctor could not do anything, we had to make a new appointment).
- in the US, you wait in a waiting room for the nurse to tell you that the doctor is ready to see you; in Ukraine, you have to find out which room the doctor is in, figure out which people are "in line" ahead of you and if no people are there, you knock on the door and let the doctor know you are there to see him/her ( I still cannot get used to just knocking on the doctor's door and letting them know I am there); if the doctor is not there, you sit and wait for them- 5 mins, 30 mins or 2 hours
- in the US, the doctor's office will work with your insurance company for payment or you pay yourself; in Ukraine, if you go to a private clinic you pay one set price before you see the doctor, but if you go to a government clinic, you do not officially pay (unless it is for something specific they charge for, like an x-ray), but you give a "thank you gift" to the doctor/nurse or they may even ask you for money so that you receive "extra special care" ( we do not mind this because if the doctor was good, giving him 50r seems like the right thing to do- we have heard that medical workers do not get paid well).
- need supplies for your visit? In the US they are right there in the office; in Ukraine, the doctor/nurse tells you what you need, you go to the pharmacy and buy them and then come back to finish the appointment (thankfully, there are pharmacys ALL over the place- I am not kidding); we recently experienced this with Solomiya: she needed a plaster cast for a tibial fracture, so Mike went to the pharmacy in the middle of our appointment to buy the supplies the doctor needed to make it.
- in the US, if your insurance company lets you, you can make appointments with whomever you want; in Ukraine, it's all about who you know. If you know someone who knows someone who works at this place or that place, you will most likely receive better and faster care and be able to jump to the front of the line. This has happened to us on many occasions! Thank God!
Disclaimer: these are my own observations and opinions based on what we have gone through.

I would like to leave you with a few pictures:
- some of the decor in the patient bathroom at a private clinic (a jar of colorful pills and some unknown amber liquid in a beaker)
- our little patient in her cast

Winter Has Finally Come!!!

We have been enjoying some colder temperatures and snow almost everyday for about a week.
We were finally able to take out the sled for Solomiya to use. It is so much easier to pull her through the snow than to use the stroller. And it's faster than walking with her, as she tends to stop every 2 feet to inspect something!
So, this is our new method of transport to and from the grocery store.
It's unusual here for sidewalks to be cleared of snow, unless it is in front of a store or business. That means the sidewalks are perfect for a sled.
It's so cool to see other people pulling little kids on sleds all over the city- we definitely would not see this in the part of the US we are from.

Mike has had a lot of fun driving on the snowy streets, also. I've heard rumors of some plows clearing the roads, but I have yet to see any in action (or any evidence).
Mike drove yesterday to another city about 1 1/2 hours away with a couple of volunteers from the Jewish Ministry to drop off supplies to an elderly, home bound Jewish man. He said on the way there, the roads were slippery, but on the way back to Uzhhorod the temperature warmed up enough to just make the roads slushy.

Understanding what exactly is happening in Ukraine and why...

A friend on FB posted this news article yesterday. It is very informative, excellently written and gives a true and clear picture of what exactly is going on in Ukraine right now and why.
We have heard that news stations in the US are not accurate or even not covering the story.
Please take the time to read this and to discover the facts. This is not just about the Ukrainian people being upset over losing an opportunity to have closer ties with the European Union.

Article from Business Insider:

A Ukrainian Journalist Explains 10 Things The West Needs To Know About The Situation In Kiev

Written by Taras Ilkiv

People are fighting for their rights, not for EU membership.

Protests in Ukraine are not pro-EU (as it is written in most of international news agencies). The disruption of the association agreement with the European Union in November was only cause for local rallies. But after a peaceful student protest was violently dispersed by the 'Berkut' [special police] in Kyiv on Nov. 30, a million angry people took to the central square of the capital. Since then rebellion has not gone away; instead it turned into an anti-government uprising demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, and also the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych. Most people are tired of total corruption in all spheres of life and the lack of justice and security officials' self-will. The middle class has become an engine of the protest since it suffered harassment from the tax agencies. Now the protest has joined with the radicals, who actually began violent confrontation on Sunday, tired of waiting for action from the liberal opposition. However, they have support among the majority of protesters.

The focus of the protests is the democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych

During the presidential elections in 2010, according to the testimony of international observers, Viktor Yanukovych legitimately beat his main opponent — the world-famous woman and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Then, during his rule, authorities condemned her for a disadvantageous gas contract with Russia and sentenced her to seven years in prison! Afterwards Yanukovych and his crew did not dare to go against the Russians and review the contract or resolve the issue in court. This event has spoiled relations of Ukraine’s President with Western leaders. President Obama is ignoring Yanukovych; and Vladimir Putin — with whom Tymoshenko signed gas contracts in 2009 — declared his readiness to accept the treatment of Tymoshenko in Russia for her back ailment.

Many Ukrainians are upset at the power of the "family"

The so-called Family (an informal power structure, which consists of officials close to the President) is a very important part of the difficult situation in the country, as some of the most profitable sectors of the Ukrainian economy are under its control. This structure pursues expansion in the media market by acquiring major publication houses. The biggest media-holding, which publishes Forbes and other big brands, was recently redeemed for $300-400 million. Also, since most of the channels have tried to avoid criticism of the authorities, more or less truthful news was only available on the Internet. The total wealth of the President’s son, Alexander Yanukovych, in is alleged to have tripled, reaching $510 million, in recent years, and the President himself won't explain how that could have happened.

Another problem: Ukraine's strong power vertical

During his reign Yanukovych transformed the country from a parliamentary republic to a presidential system. He built a rugged chain of command, where all power structures, tax agencies, prosecutors and courts are directly subordinated to his will. He uses it not only as a tool to decimate his opponents, but also to solve his necessary business matters.

People find it hard to uncover the truth

Ukraine has almost no independent media outside of the Internet. Some people from the industrial East, which borders with Russia, do not even know the truth about what is happening in Kyiv. Central TV channels just do not show, or distort the information. Printing presses are monopolized or owned by oligarchs. Until recently, the only true island of freedom was of the Internet, but last Friday Yanukovych signed a law that allows anybody to close any websites without trial or warning because of the slightest complaint. Journalists face enormous pressure and huge campaigns to discredit them. One journalist, Tatyana Chornovol, who wrote about the wealth of Yanukovych, was recently severely beaten by five intruders.

Intimidation has become a part of daily life

Within this strong repressive machine, the courts and prosecutors can intimidate those activists and public figures who disagree with the regime. Some people were forced to flee abroad, while some are deprived of property. The president blames it on the courts, but everyone understands that the courts are fully controlled by him. For example, Yanukovych signed an act on Friday that allows a person to be sentenced without his or her presence in the court, as it was in times of Stalin in the mid-twentieth century. The Government even hires special fighters from sports clubs, performing the "dirty" job of intimidation of people who disagree. Many of Yanukovych's former supporters have lost their businesses over the last few years because of the expansion of the Family empire. Journalists have concluded that this structure, which is controlled by the president’s son, began to absorb more and more of other people's assets.

The opposition is weak

The Ukrainian opposition is going through hard times. It is represented by at least three political forces. One of the parties, which was once headed by Tymoshenko, has repeatedly been elected to Parliament and is largely discredited, but still elected. The second is headed by world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, and has been able to get a lot of support recently. They have been called the most suitable party for the presidential office. The third force are the nationalists, which gained popularity due to the success of their radical slogans amongst disappointed electorate. After two months of protest, none of these parties have found a compromise with the government, and none have offered any clear plan of action for the people. The leaders of these three parties are fighting tacitly amongst themselves for the post of the one and only opposition candidate in elections in 2015. Their uncoordinated actions disappointed radicals, who went on to clash with police on Sunday, Jan. 19. After four days of bloody confrontation, these political leaders have been unable to find a way out of the situation. They no longer have any control in the riots.

The 'Berkut' units poses a special problem

The mainstay of the Yanukovych regime is the 'Berkut' special forces, troops that are part of the Ministry of Interior. Though they have had no official status, they are formed of police officers specially trained to suppress the uprising. Their number is small — only four thousand — but they are particularly severe and receive a good salary for their work. Only in recent days have pictures been circling on the Web of these special forces brutally beating journalists and peaceful demonstrators. Recently they allegedly caught protesters, stripped them and doused them with water at 14°F. In addition, in recent days, they indiscriminately fired on protesters — an act that is clearly against the law. It is important to note that so far the army refused to defend the regime of Yanukovych and fight against the people, according to Ukrainian sources.

Most people think the West has been too passive

Until this week the reaction of the U.S. and other Western countries to the events in Ukraine was very low-key. Many protesters do not really believe in that the EU and the U.S. are ready to help Ukrainians uphold democratic values. Additionally, there were rumors in the local press that America agreed to give Ukraine to Putin in exchange for increasing U.S. influence in Syria and other hot spots. The first shift was detected only on Jan. 22, when the United States finally announced visa sanctions against the officials involved in violence against peaceful demonstrators in Ukraine’s capital after the death of several people in the Kyiv rally. The EU has just issued diplomatic statements, saying they will not impose any sanctions yet. Here's an interesting fact: To get tourist a visa for few days' visit to the EU, Ukrainians have to go through an extremely complicated procedure and pay a fee of 35 euros (the average salary in Ukraine is around 300 euros). All the officials involved in the Yanukovych regime have the right to freely visit the EU.

The protests themselves have been amazingly innovative

If you walk through the center of Kyiv city you will be shocked how the heart of the riot, the Square of Independence (Maidan Nezalezhnosti), is working: People from all over Ukraine are coming to Maidan, bringing everything you need to live in military conditions. There are a lot of tents where you can get rest, a couple of heating barrels, field kitchens, a stage, Maidan's own hospital, private security and even an impromptu university. There is no alcohol in this place, and strict discipline is the main advantage of Maidan. On the borders of the square they have built huge barricades in case of regime assault. Despite the reports of the pro-government media, all the people are here not for "American money" but for the idea and for a better future. One unique form of protest is the "Automaidan." The drivers just take their cars and block SWAT buses or whole police buildings to prevent the possible illegal actions against peaceful people.

Please Pray

I encourage you to go to this website and read about what is currently happening in the capital of Ukraine: Kiev.

www.kyivpost.com/


We have no words, our hearts ache. Ukrainians are now physically fighting for their freedom. We are so proud of the Ukrainians who are there and who are representing thousands of their fellow countrymen with the same desires.

Please, please, please pray with us today. God alone is able to turn this situation around and to prevent further lives from being lost.
Please pray:
- For the safety and protection of the protestors
- That no one else would be killed- on either side
- That God will intervene with a miracle

The Official End of the Holiday Season (except Old New Year- I think we still have to celebrate that...)

Our Christmas break has officially ended. We have a full schedule this week!
(The blank spaces will most likely be filled in soon...)
We had such an awesome time hanging out with each other and our friends. We also made some great new friends!

Teaching, occupational therapy, hospital visits, language lessons and preaching shall all begin: starting tomorrow :-)