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10 June 2008 14:08

Equipment Supplier Chosen for the Radio Treatment Department of the Radiology Center at the Children’s Hospital of the Future

June 10, 2008, the Ukraine 3000 Foundation and Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation held a press conference on the results of the bid competition for purchasing medical equipment for the Radio Treatment Department of the Radiology Center at the All-Ukrainian Center to Protect Mothers’ and Children’s Health. Among the participants of the event, hosted by the UNIAN agency, were Head of the Board of Directors of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Oleksandr Maksymchuk, member of the Board of Directors of the Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation Rostyslav Zamlynsky, head of the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s Community Liaison Office Iryna Kryshtopa, Head of the Ukraine 3000 Foundation’s Public Relations Dept. Maryna Antonova.

The press conference made public the results of the bid competition for purchasing medical equipment for the Radio Treatment Department of the Radiology Center at the All-Ukrainian Center to Protect Mothers’ and Children’s Health, a.k.a. Children’s Hospital of the Future.

The contest, announced May 23, 2008, was held by a closed procedure. The bids were opened June 7. Four bids from globally renowned radiological equipment producers – Siemens,  Varian, and ELEKTA (two bids) – were submitted for the competition.

June 6, the Contest Committee held a meeting. Its members were Ukrainian and foreign specialists, having a longstanding experience of work with radiological equipment, and representatives of the Ministry for Health Care of Ukraine and Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation. In course of the meeting, the Committee considered the medical and clinical component of the bids and composed recommendations for the Conference of the Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation for its further consideration of the commercial component. The Supervisory Board of the Competition served as an independent observer of the procedure.

By the results of the Contest Committee and Conference’s work, the competition was won by the ELEKTA Company. According to the contract, ELECTA undertakes to supply the Radio Treatment Department of the Radiology Center with two linear accelerators, computer tomograph for treatment simulation, planning system, controls for the MOSAIQ radiology system and other necessary equipment.

This state-of-the-art equipment will present a chance for introducing a broad range of modern methods and types of treatment for children with cancer, from total ray treatment to stereotactic applied programs.

In addition, ELEKTA is planning a special training program for radiophysicists, oncologists, operators, and other specialists who will use this equipment.

Also in course of the press conference, Head of the Board of Directors of the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation Oleksandr Maksymchuk voiced a statement on the attempts to impede the Children’s Hospital of the Future charitable program implementation.

Recall that the Children’s Hospital of the Future program was initiated by Ukraine 3000 Foundation in March 2006. Its goal is creating in Ukraine an ultramodern patient care center for rendering medical aid to children with grave diseases, the All-Ukrainian Center to Protect Mothers’ and Children’s Health, a.k.a. Children’s Hospital of the Future.

In 2007 the program concentrated on preparing for the hospital’s construction. Through an unprecedented in Ukraine competition, the Designer General was chosen, the BDPGroupe6 French-Britain consortium with 40 years of experience in working out architectural and engineering solutions for medical institutions. The Service Agreement on Developing Design and Estimate Documentation was signed with BDPGroupe6. At the choice of the Designer General, the Budova-Tsentr1 Ltd. was appointed the subcontractor from the Ukrainian party. At present, the design and estimate documentation is being developed.

The year 2008 was marked by a series of important attainment for the Children’s Hospital of the Future program. One of them is signing the Memorandum of Understanding between Children’s Hospital of the Future Foundation and General Electric Healthcare International. According to this document, GE Healthcare presents a broad range of consultative services, in part, on forming strategies for the hospital’s creation and functioning, using modern technologies in the sphere of medicine, administrating and managing a modern children’s patient care institution. The Memorandum envisages all-round support and advice from GE Healthcare throughout the whole period of hospital’s construction and work in its daily operation and managing. The clauses of the Memorandum are designed to speed up the process of the hospital construction and make it as efficient as possible.

A separate area of the program was connected with receiving necessary permits at the state and local government bodies. In part, May 19, 2008, the Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation received an official decision from the Architecture and Town Planning Council at the Ministry of Regions Development, Housing and Building of Ukraine on the experimental design of the All-Ukrainian Center to Protect Mothers’ and Children’s Health in the Feofaniya Clinical Hospital grounds (21 vul. Akademika Zabolotnoho, Holosiyiv district, Kyiv).

Recently the geological survey was completed, required for further design works. The survey has lasted for almost 3 months. As a result, the specialists have received information on soil structure, ground waters, and other geological data to be considered in the design.

To coordinate the actions of the authorities and charitable organizations, an interdepartmental working group was created, including representatives of the Ministries for Healthcare, Environment Protection, Regional Development and Construction, Emergency Situations and Fighting the Consequences of the Chornobyl Disaster, the State Administration of Affairs, other governmental institutions and organizations, along with the Ukraine 3000 International Charitable Foundation and Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation. The working group meets on a weekly basis.

The procedure of obtaining technical specifications is now in its final stage. A draft staff list was composed and sent to the Ministry for Health Care for consideration. A draft list of medical equipment to be installed at the hospital was compiled. Within a month, a presentation is to be held of the doctors’ training program for their work at the All-Ukrainian Center to Protect Mothers’ and Children’s Health, worked out by the Ministry for Health Care and GE Healthcare International.

The fundraising continues. At present, the declared sum of donations exceeds UAH 262,033,260. As of June 9, 2008, UAH 99,432,684.04 has come to the Children’s Hospital of the Future Charitable Foundation account.