Sanctions endangered lives of cancer center patients, how Belarusian doctors look for solution

Igor Kovchuk made his living as an individual entrepreneur specializing in impact-resistant plastic and protective packaging. We met him outside the walls of the Minsk Cancer Center as a patient.

Igor Kovchuk, a patient of Minsk City Clinical Oncologic Center, individual entrepreneur:

“I am 49 years old now. Two years ago I was found to have malignant nodes in my thyroid gland. They took a biopsy, there was a malignant growth. And the way out was an operation.”

The surgery was a success. The next step was radioiodine therapy. The next step was radioiodine therapy, which was supposed to take place in a year. It reduces the risk of recurrence. But because of the sanctions, they had to indefinitely suspend the process.

The supplies of Polish isotopes are in question. Thyroid tumor spreads instantly. The brain, the lungs... - Everything is at risk.

As an entrepreneur, he understood there were logistical difficulties. "And the most unpleasant thing is that we, ordinary people, suffer," the man says.

In the end (and Igor can't stop thanking the Belarusian medics for that) they were quickly able to find a replacement. Isotopes from Russia were used for therapy.

Unfortunately, it is simply impossible to find an analogue for everything today.