Frontline cities suffer not only from constant Russian shelling but also from Russian fakes. Part of the propaganda involves spreading rumors about the current situation in the frontline cities, where the severity of the situation is exaggerated excessively. This particularly concerns the medical infrastructure.
With the support of the USAID Health Reform Support project, VoxCheck analyzes and refutes public health narratives spread in the information space of Ukraine, Belarus, and russia on a weekly basis.
Rumors are being spread online claiming that there is almost no electricity, water, or heating in Kharkiv. In stores, only cash payments are accepted. There are queues everywhere, and banks are operating with interruptions. And hospitals are “barely functioning.”
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What’s the reality?
Kharkiv indeed regularly suffers from Russian shelling, and damage is inflicted particularly on objects of energy and medical infrastructure. However, this does not mean that the city is destroyed or non-functional. For instance, there are scheduled hourly power outages in the city to maintain Kharkiv’s energy system. These outages do not affect critical infrastructure – these facilities are prioritized for electricity supply. Therefore, hospitals operate as usual. According to Kharkivvodokanal, continuous repair work and restoration of water mains are carried out to ensure a stable water supply. As for heating, currently, based on temperature indicators, heating services are not provided across the entire territory of Ukraine.
The information about the impossibility of paying for services with a card is also untrue. For example, the option to pay with a card is still available when ordering in catering establishments and supermarkets online.
A number of hospitals in Kharkiv indeed require restoration, but this does not mean that all medical facilities in the city are “barely functioning.” According to the Ministry of Health, as of February 2, since the beginning of full-scale war in Kharkiv region, 82 medical facility objects have been fully restored, and another 122 have been partially restored. In 2024, the restoration of 3 medical institutions in Kharkiv is planned at the expense of the Fund for the Elimination of the Consequences of Armed Aggression.
Source: Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Currently, hospitals in Kharkiv are open and operational, providing necessary assistance to local residents. Additionally, private clinics are operating. The list of available establishments is also on Google Maps.
Available Kharkiv hospitals as of April 12. Source: Google Maps
This information piece was produced with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided on behalf of the people of the United States of America. This article’s content, which does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, is the sole responsibility of Deloitte Consulting under contract #72012118C00001.
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The authors do not work for, consult to, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have no relevant affiliations
