Ombudsman Criticizes 13-Hour Wait for Emergency Medical Services in the Odesa Region

The room where the NMT was held was not actually prepared for martial law conditions and frequent air raids. Due to the constant interruptions, the procedure lasted from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 10:00 p.m.—more than 13 hours of continuous stress for the children. According to the participants, they were not even provided with basic necessities, such as access to water and food, during this time. Communication with their parents was severely limited: only some children who felt unwell were able to contact them.

Dmytro Lubinets.

Subsequently, thanks to the personal initiative of teachers and parents, the participants managed to secure access to drinking water and food. Also, the indifference and the attitude that “other people’s children are not our problem” allowed us to at least somehow provide water and food to orphans and those whose parents could not bring it. After such a marathon, children report severe exhaustion, loss of concentration, and an inability to perform tasks properly. The final sections were completed in a state of extreme fatigue. This calls into question the objectivity of the results, the equality of conditions for all participants, and the very fairness of the assessment. According to available information, the participants were offered an additional NMT session—without clear dates or guarantees that the situation will not be repeated.

Dmytro Lubinets.