March 2023 Exhibition: Fight for Life, Health and Future;
Ukrainian healthcare system in Russian-Ukrainian war
March 4 - April 7, 2023
©Uliana Minaieva, MD
In terms of destruction, war is similar to a disaster in that it lasts long and requires a lot of resources. But unlike natural disasters, war is not an accident - invaders have the intention to destroy, kill and control. The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine targets not only military objects but also civilian infrastructure: energy and water supply facilities, and housing blocks. The fact that medical institutions are also the target of the Russian army violates International Humanitarian Law as well.
The medical system in Ukraine was forced to change gradually during the past 9 years of the Russian-Ukrainian war. This allowed it to adapt in February 2022, when the full scale war began, and provide patients with necessary medical care. Nonetheless, it faces many problems caused by constant shelling, the intended destruction of critical infrastructure and a shortage of resources as well as the intended murder, abduction and hostage-taking of health personnel and patients.
This exhibition documents the daily life and difficulties of Ukrainian healthcare institutions, the depth of destruction, and the extreme efforts to save patient lives and health.
Most of these photos are taken with smartphone cameras by medical staff between February 2022-January 2023". Every picture has a story and even though doctors deal with death and hope almost every day, these stories prompted them to take out their phones and capture these moments. Some of the photos may be shocking, however, we believe that it is impossible to show the truth about violence without showing the violence. Since the aim of the exhibition is to show the reality in which the Ukrainian healthcare system exists now, removing the blood from the photos would be turning a blind eye to the crimes committed by Russia.
Bruce Osborn (Exhibition Chair)
Peter Lyon (Co-Chair)