"Nurses were crying, but there was no panic": Intensive Care Unit works during the rescue of injured cadets

The chief doctor of the Poltava Regional Hospital, Hryhoriy Oksak, shared how the rescue of the wounded was carried out in the first moments after the missile strike.

On September 3, Russian armed forces launched an air attack on the Communication Institute with two "Iskander-M" ballistic missiles. Medical staff at the institution immediately began providing aid to the injured. Eight minutes after the missile strike, ambulances arrived at the scene. The city's residents still didn’t know what had happened or where the missile had landed, but the sound of sirens and the number of ambulances hinted at the tragedy.

The wounded were transported from the scene to the regional hospital and other medical facilities in the city. According to Valeriy Parkhomenko, the first deputy mayor of Poltava, 21 operating rooms were in use on the first day, with 27 surgical teams fighting for the lives of the injured. The medical teams performed over 100 surgeries.

Hryhoriy Oksak, chief doctor of the Mykola Sklifosovsky Poltava Regional Clinical Hospital, explained how the rescue efforts were conducted in his facility:

— The operating room nurses were in tears when they saw so many casualties. But there was no panic in the hospital, and that allowed us to work efficiently.

Most of the patients were young men. The tourniquets were applied correctly, and they worked as intended.

I believe the entire team performed excellently, with no delays in the emergency room or in providing supplies. The hospital’s equipment played a big role. Our MRI and CT scanners were running around the clock, which helped save many lives.

Professor Sheyko, head of Surgery Department No. 1 at Poltava Medical University, was responsible for triaging patients. This is the most critical moment in providing medical aid during mass casualty incidents. You must quickly assess the condition of each patient. He made timely decisions on the severity of injuries and directed patients to the appropriate departments.

On September 3, several surgeons from other regions were in Poltava for a professional training session, organized by leading specialists from our neurosurgery department. They offered their help and joined our doctors in the operating rooms. These neurosurgeons included Oleksandr Mizernyuk (Cherkasy), Serhiy Bahriy (Vinnytsia), Oleksiy Leontyev (Ternopil), Illia Balan (Mykolaiv), and Mykhailo Prytula (Stryi).

Additional teams of doctors, junior, and mid-level medical staff were sent to the operating block. Interns from Poltava State Medical University also assisted in saving lives.

The patients were mainly suffering from multiple traumas, brain and spinal cord injuries, chest and abdominal wounds, and limb amputations.

Nine operating rooms were functioning simultaneously, all fully occupied. The hospital suspended scheduled admissions for the day, but we resumed normal operations on September 4.

A command center was set up on the hospital grounds, where relatives of the injured gathered. We had lists of the wounded, sorted by name. A waiting area was arranged for families, with water provided. Psychologists and I also spoke with the relatives.

The wounded didn’t have ID tags or documents on them. We brought in relatives to help identify the patients.

During my rounds, I asked a young man with a brain injury what he remembered. He said his group was heading to a shelter. He heard a whistle, a noise, and knew he needed to drop down and take cover, but he didn’t react in time. That same evening, a young woman who had been searching for him among the injured came to see him.

Right now, the hospital has over 50 patients, with 80% of them in serious or critical condition. So far, four people have died at the hospital: two during surgery and two within the first 24 hours.

As of 2:10 p.m. on September 5, the total death toll from the missile strike had risen to 55, with 328 people injured. Rescuers are still clearing the rubble, searching for more victims.

Mykola LYSOHOR, "Poltavshchyna"

In the photo: Surgeons of the KP "2nd MKL PMR" at work