Inclusive and comfortable. Solidarity Foundation and LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE help to renovate medical facilities in Obolon

The Solidarity Charitable Foundation and LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE helped to renovate the surgical department of Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 8 and the pediatric department of Kyiv City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 1. The total cost of the two projects, implemented jointly with other partners, is over UAH 50 million.

“Modern conditions, safe space, new equipment – all this contributes to more efficient work of medical staff and the speedy recovery of patients. I am grateful to everyone who implemented this important project. I am grateful to investors who trust Kyiv and invest in its development,” emphasized Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko at the opening of the department.

The surgical department of hospital No. 8 provides assistance to about 3 thousand patients every year. The institution allocated UAH 26.5 million for its renovation, and the Solidarity Fund invested another UAH 19 million.

“Now it (the department) fully complies with all the most modern European standards regarding inclusion, equipment, ventilation, air quality, etc. Patients will recover in proper modern conditions, and doctors will work,” emphasized the acting chief physician Denys Reizin.

According to him, the redevelopment of the department was aimed at inclusivity. Currently, the department has 44 beds: 12 triple wards and 8 single wards, each of which is equipped with a bathroom with a boiler, climate control, CO sensors, oxygen points, nurse call buttons, and a video surveillance system.

The department is equipped with three resident rooms (currently 12 doctors and interns work there). The walls and floor are covered with medical linoleum, which is easy to disinfect. The ventilation system has been completely replaced and is now autonomous.

One of the key partners in the restoration of the medical facility was the Solidarity Charitable Foundation, established in 2022 by LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE to support war victims with funding from the French group of companies ADEO. The Foundation actively implements projects aimed at improving conditions in medical facilities, restoring social infrastructure and housing. The reconstruction of the surgical department of Hospital No. 8 became the 122nd implemented initiative in its portfolio. The Chairman of the Solidarity Foundation, Mathieu-Marie Arden, explained that the Foundation was happy to respond to this project.

“Over the three years of our work, we have allocated approximately 6 million euros to charity projects, one of our main investors is “LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE”. The sector where we can be useful is construction, reconstruction. And when a hospital, which is also located next to our store, asks us to help people who are being treated in the surgical department, of course we say “yes”. It is important for us to be there, to implement what we are good at doing”, – emphasized the head of the Solidarity Foundation Mathieu-Marie Arden.

He added that among the projects in the field of healthcare that have already been implemented thanks to the foundation’s assistance: three rehabilitation centers, the construction of children’s clinic No. 1 in Lviv, roofing works at the Ichny city hospital, a renovated surgical department in Mykolaiv, etc.

The employees of the foundation and “LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE” contributed to this project not only with materials and resources, but also with their own hands.

“On the part of LEROY MERLIN, we provided the building materials that were needed. For us, it is a real pride that we can meet the expectations of Ukrainians and come to the rescue when they really need it. This means not only being a source of funding or providing building materials. We also spent a lot of time here (in hospital No. 8) painting the walls, helping this hospital with our own hands. After all, one of our values is the value of sharing,” says Axel Bernal, CEO of LEROY MERLIN UKRAINE.

She added that the company will continue to assist city hospital No. 8 in the near future - it is planned to update the orthopedic department, the signing of a contract for which is expected by the end of October.

“Our work will continue next year and beyond, because we have very strong support from France, and we will help Ukraine as much as we can,” she emphasized.

Also this year, in the Obolonsky district, with the help of the Solidarity Foundation, together with the Andriy Zasukha Foundation, the pediatric department of the Kyiv City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 1 was renovated.

Solidarity's charitable assistance amounted to over UAH 2.7 million. As part of the joint reconstruction, the benefactors renovated 1,242 sq m of premises, and the department is now designed for 50 young patients. In total, 32 modern wards have been equipped — both single and double, as well as a special intensive care ward.

The department has created and updated modern infrastructure that provides the most comfortable conditions for patients and their parents: a laundry room with dryers, a kitchen, showers and toilets, two cafeterias, a manipulation room, playrooms, a wardrobe and several rooms for medical staff. Some wards are specially equipped for children with inclusion, and Braille signs and signs are installed throughout the department so that people with visual impairments can easily navigate and feel safe.

“We tried to make repairs in such a way that mom or dad could cope on their own without a partner. So that there were all the conditions to heat up baby food, put yogurt in the refrigerator, make a snack in the kitchen for individual needs, or if you want to drink coffee or just sit while the child sleeps,” says Yevgeniya Grigor’yeva, director of the City Children’s Clinical Hospital No. 1.

“The Solidarity Foundation in our district helps to renovate hospitals and repair educational institutions. This is an example of the unity of philanthropists and socially responsible businesses that help the state during the war in the civilian sector, but on those problems that relate to the consequences of the war,” said Kyrylo Fesyk, head of the Obolon Regional State Administration.