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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE November 22, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| October 28, 2005 |
Havana, Cuba – Meeting the Children of Chernobyl |
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| Peace Boat participants arrive at the seaside treatment center |
The nuclear explosion at Chernobyl, the Ukraine in 1986 shocked the world, but 20 years on, has faded from most people’s memories. Yet in Cuba – 10,000 kilometers from Ukraine – a small hospital and rehabilitation centre is working steadily to support the Ukrainian victims of the accident.
Around 30 Peace Boat participants took the chance to visit Tarada Medical Center when the 51st Peace Boat voyage arrived in Havana, Cuba in late October. There, they had the chance to learn about the various programmes of the Center, and meet the children residing at the beach side resort. |
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| Vice Director of Medical Assistance at Tarada Medical Facility, Dr Xenia Lauenti, explains the history of Tarada Medical Center to participants |
The Tarada Medical Center was established in 1990, after the Ukrainian Government made a plea to the international scientific community to help people who had suffered from the effects of Chernobyl. The Cuban Government responded by offering a space, medical facilities and staff for Ukrainian children who were severely affected by the explosion and its aftermath. A youth non-governmental organization in the Ukraine provides funds for flights, and once in Cuba, care for the children is completely financed by the Government of Cuba.
Vice Director of Medical Assistance at the Center, Xenia Lauenti, said approximately 800 Ukrainian children had so far been treated with illnesses ranging from psychological disorders (known as Chernobyl Syndrome), to life-threatening illness. Typical sicknesses include leukemia, skin problems, inflammation of the thyroid and hair loss. The families of children diagnosed with the most serious diseases such as cancer and leukemia, were able to stay at the Center also, she said. |
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| The fresh air at the beautiful beach, located next to the Center, helps keep a smile on the faces of children receiving treatment |
Dr. Lauenti said the Center focused not just on physical treatment, but psychological healing as well. Various cultural activities helped the children to interact and relax each day, after treatment in the mornings. One doctor commented; “When the children who have lost all their hair first come here, they wear a wig and try to hide their skin problems, but after 3 days or so, they stop wearing it.” |
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| Taking photos with the energetic Cuban children at the Tarada Medical Center |
The children have access to all levels of the Cuban health care system so often leave for specialized hospital care in Cuba’s capital, Havana. According to Dr Lauenti, treatment for patients is on the forefront of new development. “We are trying new techniques, such as placenta treatment to treat pigmentation and hair loss,” she said
Many Cuban children suffering from conditions such as asthma and diabetes are also treated at the Facility. Simply being in a clean, seaside environment is often a head start for recovery. Children are taught methods to check their bodies, so that when they return home they have a better understanding of their condition.
Tarada is not just a treatment and rehabilitation center, but a school as well. In this way, patients do not fall behind in schoolwork, and are able to develop mentally as well as physically. Ukrainian and Cuban teachers ensure that all students have an opportunity to learn in their native language, as well as study another language. |
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| Children at Tarada enjoy learning Japanese origami from Peace Boat participants |
After learning about the Center’s various facilities, Peace Boat participants were treated to a music and dance performance, by both Cuban children and Ukrainians residing at the Center. They then headed for the nearby beach, where they enjoyed sports, games, a dance exchange and making origami. |
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| Fond farewells between Peace Boat participants and the children of Tarada Medical Center in Cuba |
Participants left the Tarada Medical Center with new friends and an increased appreciation for the constructive relationships that can be achieved between people from different cultures and countries – in both a personal and international context.
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The Chernobyl disaster
In 1986, an explosion and fire at the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, the Ukraine, released large amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Nuclear fallout from the accident caused many health and environmental problems, yet exact numbers of people killed and affected are not known.
Soviet officials initially claimed 31 people died from the accident, with 200 seriously injured. But in the early 1990s, Ukrainian officials estimated that 6,000 to 8,000 people died as a result of health problems associated to the explosion and its aftermath. The disaster caused high rates of cancer and other illnesses in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, who have been burdened with the substantial costs for decontamination and health care. Many babies in their mothers’ wombs were also affected by illness. |
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