Ukrainian refugee, 7, goes back warzone for dentist appointment due to NHS delay
A mum who grew sick of waiting to get her daughter the NHS dental treatment she needed flew back to Ukraine instead.
Oksana Martirosova took her daughter Lisa, seven, back to Ukraine from Aberdeenshire despite the war there.
After returning from Kyiv earlier this week, Oksana told the Press & Journal newspaper Lisa simply "couldn't wait" for treatment because of the pain she was in.
She said: “Lisa’s pain was terrible, she couldn’t wait several months on antibiotics. She was really afraid and trembling, and every day I had to give her painkillers.”
The return to the war-hit Ukrainian capital involved a flight to Poland and then a long, 15-hour bus journey.
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'In our country... you would go to the hospital the same day or the next day,' Oksana said (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Oksana continued: “In our country, this would be an emergency and you would go to the hospital the same day or the next day, not after several months.
“It is crazy because this can lead to very difficult problems. I don’t know how people with small children live with this problem.
“The doctors are good here, but it is bad because of the queues.”
There is currently a country-wide backlog (AFP via Getty Images)Scotland is currently suffering a backlog, like the rest of the UK, I n many of its vital healthcare sectors and the NHS dentistry waiting list is no different
Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf was blamed by Labour MSP Michael Marra, for the long waits.
Marra helped Oksana's family obtain visas for the UK last year.
He said: “Humza Yousaf’s disastrous stewardship of the NHS has created a desperate situation for far too many.
'It is simply astounding that refugees have had to return to a war-torn country for medical treatment,'' Marra said (Getty Images)“It is simply astounding that refugees have had to return to a war-torn country for medical treatment.
“Astronomical wait times have forced people to the extremes in order to get the treatment they urgently need. This case may be unusual but every week we hear more and more stories of people pushed to the brink to get the treatment they need.
“Mr Yousaf’s abysmal track record will follow him wherever he goes next. He has wreaked havoc on every post he has held in Government.
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Ukraine has been in the shadow of war ever since Vladimir Putin's brutal full-scale invasion in February last year (Getty Images)“He cannot be allowed to fail upwards and wreak havoc on the entire country.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “The health and welfare of all displaced Ukrainians remains a priority.
“However, the challenges the NHS is facing are not unique to Scotland and are being felt across the rest of the UK.
“The Scottish Government remains focused on supporting services to address and alleviate these pressures and we are working to clear the backlog of planned care appointments caused by the pandemic.”
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