Children Hospital No 3 located on Vasilievsky Island in Saint Petersburg has become a collector of infectious deceases from the whole large city in recent years. The Hospital has the biggest tuberculosis clinic in Saint Petersburg that provides medical care for around 600 children of several months age up to 15 years old each year. The Hospital also admits children living on the streets, drug addicts, new-born babies refused by HIV-infected mothers, children with hepatitis, gonorrhea, scab and other deceases common for social groups with low income. In addition to medical care these children also need social care: clothing, additional nutrition, psychological help, warmth and attention to their little souls, help to solve their psychological tensions and problems, to plant roots of good morality in their souls. Some children spend months and years in the hospital, so there is plenty of time for healing not only their bodies but also their souls.
The Hospital buildings are very old, some of them were built at the end of 19-th century, and many problems that the Hospital is facing today have their origin in the long past. Those problems are - old buildings that need fixing and repair, huge abandoned territory, lack of almost anything: funds, equipment, drugs, human resources. Qualified personnel leave to work in private sector as it is difficult for medical personnel to dedicate themselves to sick and lone children for miserable salary and with a constant risk of getting an infection.
The Society of Saint Joasaph of Belgorod in cooperation with the Brotherhood of St. Anastasia committed to provide social help and support for unfortunate children. More than ten years ago the members of both organizations started to visit sick children. From that time creative classes and conversations on the topics of morality, arrangement of celebrations and theatric performances, walks and tours became a part of little patients’ everyday life. Our Society is constantly looking for new sponsors in the “jungles” of modern Russian business in order to provide poor children with additional nutrition and vitamins, and provide homeless children with clothes. The list of areas of activity that requires financial support includes the repair of classrooms, providing necessary medical equipment, audio and video devices and computers, construction of sport and walking fields on the territory of the Hospital. Appeal to international sponsors is starting to bring some results, however their help is yet sporadic and can only cover a small portion of the required expenses. A systematic and persistent help is needed in order to solve the existing problems and resolve the crisis. We hope for further cooperation with the
Christian Interchurch Diaconal Council (Russia, St. Petersburg) and ACER RUSSIE (France).
