Tskhinvali lacks specialist to service equipment for rearing premature infants

At the maternity hospital of the capital of South Ossetia, the absence of a child resuscitator-neonatology physician creates problems in rearing premature babies. This was stated by Vadim Tedeev chief physician of the hospital. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent managed to find out that the young woman-postgraduate student, sent by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of South Ossetia to Russia for training in this specialty, got married and never returned to Tskhinvali.

"We have the apparatus of artificial lung ventilation, which should be operated by a children's neonatology physician. This doctor is treating newborns; but we don't have such specialist," Mr Tedeev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Two months ago a premature babies with birth trauma was born at the Tskhinvali maternity hospital. He lived two days for only. Vadim Tedeev is sure that the death of the newborn is not related to non-provision of timely medical care.

According to the chief physician, deaths of premature newborns are extremely rare in his hospital, especially since most pregnant women go to North Ossetia for delivery.

He noted that, apart from the above specialist, the hospital often lacks oxygen for the ventilation equipment. A specialized centre for rearing newborns with birth injuries operates in North Ossetia; and immediately about the birth of the above baby in Tskhinvali, a special resuscitation ambulance was called from there and was already en route. "However, the car was turned back from halfway, since the kid at that time, unfortunately, had died," said Tedeev.

Meanwhile, as the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was explained, the above Ministry of Public Health and Social Development of South Ossetia had sent a young graduate student, a lady, to Russia for training in specialization of babies' intensive care' however, she got married in Russia, where she studied, and never returned to Tskhinvali. Now the Ministry has sent another girl for training.

Let us note here that since 2001 Russian universities are offering quotas and places for training in different disciplines, including in medicine.

Alexander Pliev, Chairman of the Committee on Social Policy and Health in the Parliament of South Ossetia and head of the resuscitation ward at the Republic's Somatic Hospital, noted that Tskhinvali lacks specialists in paediatric surgery and anaesthesiology.

"There are no young professionals, because the low doctor's salary makes the medic's profession unattractive. The doctor's basic rate is 3750 roubles; and with all bonuses my salary of the department manager is 5200 roubles. If we fail to approach the material side of the issue, situation will not change for the better. On such terms no specialists from Russia will ever come to work here," Alexander Pliev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.