Press-releases
17.12.2008
The National Cancer Institute receives a new CT scan purchased with the money raised during Paul McCartney’s concert
On 16th November a new 16 slice CT scan, provided by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation, was installed in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Kyiv. The CT scan will not only speed up and improve diagnosis of the cancer diseases, significantly enhancing the quality of the patients’ treatment, but also enable checking up 2000 more people per year. Up till now there was only one functioning CT scan in the Institute and for this reason the patients experienced serious delays in undergoing the examination.
This piece of medical equipment was purchased with the money raised under the "Time to be together" campaign that included Sir Paul McCartney's Independence Concert held in Kyiv on 14th July 2008. Over 300 recognised politicians, businessmen, diplomats and celebrities, as well as Sir Paul McCartney himself, joined the charitable fundraising event organised by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation. The amount raised totalled UAH 3 936 243.00
Grygoriy Klymniuk, the Head of Children's Oncology Department of the National Cancer Institute: "The 16 slice CT scan ensues an exceptional image quality and fast data reconstruction that significantly improves the quality of the X-ray diagnosis and safety for the little patients, since they are anaesthetised during the procedure. It's good when businessmen, politicians and public figures can join their efforts for the sake of saving thousands of children's lives."
Victor Pinchuk, founder of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and the "Time to be together" campaign organiser: "I would like to thank all, who took part in the fundraising. The humanity and positive emotions that the concert had awakened in us, they not just left a mark in our souls but also embodied in this complex devise - a CT scan. And today it helps saving people's lives."
The winner of the tender for the CT scan supply became the Toshiba Company, one of the global leaders in the hi-tech medical equipment production. Considering the social orientation of the campaign, Toshiba made a special offer for purchasing the scan and also held a training course for the medical staff of the NCI on how to use the device.
EDITORS NOTE
Independence Concert (independenceconcert.kiev.ua)- the first Sir Paul McCartney's concert ever held Ukraine took place in Kyiv's Independence Square on 14th July 2008. The Victor Pinchuk Foundation was the organiser of both Independence Concert and the national public campaign "Time to be together". 350 000 spectators enjoyed the show in Kyiv and additional 190 000 watched it live in the main squares of six biggest Ukrainian cities. The Ukrainian celebrities, businessmen, politicians, foreign diplomats and guests, invited to the concert of a legendary artist as VIPs, also joined a charitable fundraising function to purchase medical equipment for the Children's Department of the National Cancer Institute. The list of the guests, who donated towards a CT scan, can be found on the Victor Pinchuk Foundation website under the News section. According to the rating based on the results of a special research undertaken by the EventBrand company, the Independence concert is ranked in the top 10 of the most outstanding public events to be ever held in the history of the independent Ukraine.
Children's Department of the National Cancer Institute
From January 2008 a state organisation of the Institute of Oncology at the Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine was transferred under the management of the Ministry of Health and renamed the National Cancer Institute of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. It is located at the following address: Kyiv, 33/43Lomonosova Street. This medical institution is one of its kind in Ukraine. Children from all over the country (mostly on the late stages of the disease) are sent here.
In 1968 construction of the building for the Institute of Oncology on Lomonosova Street was completed. Next to the building were erected an administrative, laboratory, policlinic and an inpatient premises. Thus, the Institute of Oncology, previously residing in a small building in the centre of the city, moved in to the premises on Lomonosova Street in May 1968. Initially children's beds were scattered over different departments. In 1969 the Children's Department became a self-sufficient unit with five beds. Later it was expanded up to forty beds.
For the moment the Children's Department includes four wards for five patients and five wards for two patients. One of the wards is re-equipped to function as a transplant unit with two beds.
The Department also includes a treatment room, lab room, kitchen, play area and sanitary premises. In addition, there is a dedicated reception and a unit with the family rooms for twenty beds.
The Department’s staff consists of four oncology doctors and five research assistants. Over 300 children from all over Ukraine undergo the treatment in the Department every year. Children — from newborns to eighteen-year-olds — with all kinds of solid malicious tumours get admitted to the Department. There are 3500 enquiries per year are registered by the consultation room.
Grygoriy Klymniuk, Head of the Children's Department of the National Cancer Institute:
"This awful disease becomes younger each year and still is fatal in most of the cases. Medicine can save only 40% of young cancer patients today in our country. At the same time, the average survival rate in Europe is 70%. The sad statistics are caused by different factors; however one of the major reasons is the lack of modern equipment for the early diagnostics and effective treatment"
The Victor Pinchuk Foundation (pinchukfund.org)
The Victor Pinchuk Foundation is the largest Ukrainian private philanthropic organization and was established in 2006 by businessman and philanthropist Victor Pinchuk. The Foundation develops and implements social projects aimed at modernizing Ukraine and the bringing about of a new generation of Ukrainian leaders.
The Foundation's top fields of activities are health care, education, culture, human rights, Ukraine's global integration and local communities' development.
Among the largest projects of the Foundation are: the "Cradles of Hope" Program for opening neonatal health care centers all over Ukraine; student scholarship program "Zavtra.UA"; the PinchukArtCentre contemporary art museum.
Victor Pinchuk Foundation is a member of European Fund Center and Ukrainian Grant makers Forum, a partner of the Yalta European Strategy (YES); the Foundation cooperates with Clinton's Global Initiative and other non-governmental organizations.
