Six Months in the Hospital: The Story of a Doctor Who Saved 400 Lives in Occupied Izium
Yurii, a 55-year-old trauma surgeon with 28 years of experience, remained in Izium throughout the temporary russian occupation. He set up an improvised operating room in the hospital basement, where two wheeled gurneys replaced an operating table. He lived inside the medical facility for six straight months, never leaving, even for a day. In those extreme conditions, Yurii saved 400 lives and even helped deliver four babies.
When his family evacuated abroad in March 2022, Yurii made a different choice; he stayed behind to save lives. He went on duty one day, not knowing it would be six months before he returned home.
In May, there was a massive influx of wounded people with mine-blast injuries. They were being brought in every hour. People were lying on the stairs. One day, a nurse came to me and said, ‘Yevhenovych, I can’t take it anymore. My nerves are breaking
Yurii recalls.
Paramedics carried the wounded on blankets, moving stealthily between buildings to avoid shelling and drone surveillance. Going outside was life-threatening, any movement drew fire from russian forces.
There was a massive shortage of medicine at that time. Pharmacies had been broken into and looted. We were even searching for medicines in garbage dumps
Yurii recalls.
There had been a military hospital operated by the occupiers in the city. After liberation, it stood empty, with no equipment, and no people. My heart finally felt peaceful. We understood the city was free
He also remembers the moment Izium was liberated.
For his extraordinary courage and dedication, Yurii was awarded the Order ‘For Courage’ (Third Class) by the President of Ukraine.
But liberation brought new challenges. Yurii’s home was hit twice by enemy shells and left severely damaged. When hope seemed lost, help came from the East SOS Charity Foundation. “I was looking for help, but I had given up. Then the city council told me about East SOS. The very next day, a team came and began restoring my house. I am extremely grateful,” he says.
The East SOS reconstruction team renovated the destroyed basement, broken walls, shattered windows, and damaged roof of Yurii’s home.
Today, Yurii dreams of peace, an end to the war, and a society where people are kinder, more supportive, and ready to help one another.
You cannot betray your mission. We need to support others under any circumstances
he affirms.
If your home was damaged by hostilities in the Kharkiv region (Izium district) or Donetsk region (Lyman, Sviatohirsk, or Druzhkivka communities), you can apply for assistance from East SOS. Contact the Call Center at 0800 332 614, Monday to Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
The renovation works are being implemented within the project “Small and Medium-Sized Repairs of Houses Affected by the War in the Kharkiv Region,” with the support of ActionAid.
