Darkness means breathlessness

 In November 2022 the massive missiles and drone attack on energy infrastructure led to a long blackout in all the regions of Ukraine.

 2022年11月、エネルギーインフラへの大規模なミサイル攻撃とドローン攻撃により、ウクライナの全地域で長時間の停電が発生した。

Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv. November 2022.
Photo provided by Tetiana Holota, MD

Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv. November 2022.
Photo provided by Tetiana Holota, MD

 The ICU of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology has power generators for medical devices. But the voltage jump after the blackout destroyed the electronic controller in all ventilators and the devices could not provide oxygen supply to newborn babies. Doctors used a manual bag valve mask for 5 hours to pump air into the baby’s lungs while technical specialists were launching the device.

 小児科・産科・婦人科のICUには医療機器用の発電機がある。しかし、停電後に発生した非常用電源起動時の過電圧ですべての人工呼吸器の電子制御装置が破壊され、新生児への酸素供給ができなくなった。医師たちは、修理技術者が装置を再起動するまで、5時間にわたって手動式のバッグバルブマスクを使って赤ちゃんの肺に空気を送り込んだ。

Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv. November 2022.
Photo provided by Tetiana Holota, MD

Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. Kyiv. November 2022.
Photo provided by Tetiana Holota, MD

 Blackouts are deathly dangerous for most vulnerable patients. ICU care depends on electronic devices providing life support. Even a 5 min break in oxygen supplements kills preterm born babies or critically ill patients. Targeting energetic infrastructure is an intended murder of them. Now Ukrainian healthcare institutions are paying attention to the re-equipment of operating rooms and intensive care units with batteries and power generators to save lives even when the electricity infrastructure is damaged.

 停電は、最も弱い立場にある患者にとって致命的である。ICUにおいては、生命維持のために電子機器が欠かせない。酸素供給が5分間遮断されただけでも、未熟児や生命の危機に瀕している患者は死亡する。エネルギー供給インフラを攻撃目標にするということは、彼らを殺すのと同じことなのだ。現在、ウクライナの医療機関は電力インフラが破壊されても命を救えるようにするため、手術室や集中治療室にバッテリーや発電機を改めて整備しようとしている。

Kyiv City Clinical Hospital #17.
October 10, 2022.
Photo provided by Uliana Minaieva, MD

Kyiv City Clinical Hospital #17.
October 10, 2022.
Photo provided by Uliana Minaieva, MD

 During the massive rocket attacks on October 10th, 2022, in Kyiv, most hospitals were cut off from electricity for several hours but continued to receive patients with massive injuries. Modern equipment continued to work for 1-2 hours of blackouts, but some older devices were not equipped with batteries, and anesthesiologists had to carry out manual ventilation with an Ambu bag for several hours.

 2022年10月10日にキエフで発生した大規模なロケット攻撃の際、ほとんどの病院は数時間にわたって停電していたが、重傷を負った外傷患者を受け入れ続けた。最新の機器は1~2時間の停電でも作動し続けたが、一部の古い機器にはバッテリーが装備されておらず、麻酔科医は数時間にわたり、アンビューバッグによる手動換気を余儀なくされた。

Exhibition Manager(展示責任者)
Oleksandra Riabets: MD, Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv, Ukraine); PhD student, Department of Neurosurgery, Juntendo University, Tokyo
Tetiana Yatsenko: Ph.D., Senior researcher, Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv; JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Juntendo University, Tokyo