“As we spent two days waiting for test results locked in a 16 square metre prison-like room, we had plenty of reasons to feel uncomfortable.”

A unique piece on the coronavirus outbreak in Ukraine’s east by our colleague Igor Mitchnik, Head of DRA’s resource centre Drukarnia in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine. In mid-March, he and his colleague returned from Germany and were hospitalized in a small town in Ukraine’s east.

In his article for openDemocracy, Igor does not only share his experience (spoiler – both were tested negative), but gives a compelling analysis of the situation and its grim perspectives in the region, already torn by war and poverty.  

 “As I experienced firsthand, the Ukrainian healthcare system and medical infrastructure are woefully unprepared. If Ukraine reaches a similar number of infections to Germany, Ukraine – and particularly its war-torn east – will face an additional humanitarian disaster since the ongoing war started in 2014.”

Read the whole article under the link.