Fighting always results in casu alties. A person, wounded or sick, can no longer perform his tasks to the fullest. But they needed to be brought back to life. For this purpose, medical facilities were created throughout the advance of the troops. Temporary, in the immediate vicinity of combat battles, and permanent - in the rear.
Where hospitals were created
All hospitals during the Great Patriotic War received at their disposal the most capacious buildings of cities and villages. For the sake of saving the wounded soldiers, their speedy recovery, schools and sanatoriums, university audiences and hotel rooms became medical wards. They tried to create the best conditions for the soldiers. The cities of the deep rear turned into a haven for thousands of soldiers during the illness.
In cities far from the battlefields, hospitals were stationed during the Great Patriotic War. Their list is huge, they covered the entire space from north to south, Siberia and further to the east. Yekaterinburg and Tyumen, Arkhangelsk and Murmansk, Irkutsk and Omskgreeted dear guests. For example, in a city as remote from the front as Irkutsk, there were twenty hospitals. Each reception point for soldiers from the front line was ready to carry out the necessary medical procedures, organize proper nutrition and care.
The journey from injury to healing
Wounded during the battle, the soldier did not immediately end up in the hospital. The nurses laid the first care of him on their fragile, but such strong female shoulders. "Sisters" in soldier's uniform rushed under heavy enemy fire to pull their "brothers" out of the shelling.
The red cross, sewn on a sleeve or scarf, was issued to their employees by hospitals during the Great Patriotic War. A photo or image of this symbol is clear to everyone without words. The cross warns that the person is not a warrior. The Nazis at the sight of this distinctive sign simply went berserk. They were annoyed by the mere presence of little nurses on the battlefield. And the way they managed to drag hefty soldiers in full uniform under aimed fire just infuriated them.
After all, in the Wehrmacht army such work was done by the he althiest and strongest soldiers. Therefore, they opened a real hunt for little heroines. Only a girlish silhouette with a red cross will flash by, and a lot of enemy trunks aimed at it. Therefore, the death on the front lines of nurses was very frequent. Leaving the battlefield, the wounded received first aid and went to the sorting places. These were the so-called distribution evacuation points. brought herewounded, shell-shocked and sick from the nearest fronts. One point served from three to five areas of military operations. Here the soldiers were assigned according to their main injury or disease. Military hospital trains have made a great contribution to restoring the combat strength of the army.
VSP could simultaneously transport a large number of wounded. No other ambulance could compete with these engines of emergency medical care. From the sorting stations, the wounded were sent to the interior of the country to specialized Soviet hospitals during the Great Patriotic War.
Main areas of hospitals
Several profiles stood out among hospitals. The most common injuries were considered wounds in the abdominal cavity. They were especially hard. Shrapnel hit in the chest or abdomen led to damage to the diaphragm. As a result, the chest and abdominal cavities are without a natural border, which could lead to the death of soldiers. For their cure, special thoracoabdominal hospitals were created. Among these wounded, the survival rate was low. For the treatment of limb injuries, a femoral-articular profile was created. Hands and feet suffered from wounds and frostbite. The doctors tried in every possible way to prevent the amputation.
A man without an arm or leg could no longer return to duty. And the doctors were tasked with restoring combat strength.
Neurosurgical and infectious diseases, therapeutic and neuropsychiatric departments,surgery (purulent and vascular) threw all their forces to their front in the fight against diseases of the Red Army soldiers.
Staff
Medics of different orientations and experience became in the service of the Fatherland. Experienced doctors and young nurses came to hospitals during the Great Patriotic War. Here they worked for days. Among the doctors, there were often hungry fainting spells. But this did not happen from a lack of nutrition. They tried to feed both patients and doctors well. Doctors often did not have enough time to escape from their main work and eat. Every minute counted. While lunch was going on, it was possible to help some unfortunate person and save his life.
In addition to providing medical care, it was necessary to cook food, feed the soldiers, change bandages, clean the wards, and do laundry. All this was carried out by numerous personnel. They tried to somehow distract the wounded from bitter thoughts. It so happened that the hands were not enough. Then unexpected helpers appeared.
Physician Assistants
Detachments of Octobrists and pioneers, separate classes provided all possible assistance to hospitals during the Great Patriotic War. They served a glass of water, wrote and read letters, entertained the soldiers, because almost everyone had daughters and sons or brothers and sisters somewhere at home. Touching a peaceful life after the bloodshed of terrible everyday life at the front became an incentive for recovery. During the Great Patriotic War, famous artists came to military hospitals with concerts. Their arrival was expected, they turned into a holiday. A call to courageous overcomingpain, faith in recovery, optimism of speeches had a beneficial effect on patients. Pioneers came with amateur performances. They staged scenes where they ridiculed the Nazis. They sang songs, recited poems about the imminent victory over the enemy. The wounded looked forward to such concerts.
Difficulties of work
Created hospitals during the Great Patriotic War functioned with difficulty. In the first months of the war, there was no sufficient supply of medicines, equipment, and specialists. The elementary things were missing - cotton wool and bandages. I had to wash them, boil them. The doctors could not change the gown in time. After a few operations, he turned into a red cloth from fresh blood. The retreat of the Red Army could lead to the fact that the hospital ended up in the occupied territory. In such cases, the life of the soldiers was in danger. Everyone who could take up arms stood up to protect the rest. The medical staff at that time tried to organize the evacuation of the seriously wounded and shell-shocked.
It was possible to establish work in an unsuitable place by going through trials. Only the dedication of doctors made it possible to equip the premises to provide the necessary medical care. Gradually, medical institutions ceased to experience a shortage of medicines and equipment. The work became more organized, was under control and guardianship.
Achievements and omissions
During the Great Patriotic War, hospitals were able to achieve a reduction in the death rate of patients. Up to 90 percent came back to life. Without attracting newknowledge was not possible. Doctors had to test the latest discoveries in medicine immediately in practice. Their courage gave many soldiers a chance to survive, and not only to stay alive, but also to continue to defend their Motherland.
Dead patients were buried in mass graves. Usually a wooden plaque with a name or number was placed on the grave. Operating hospitals during the Great Patriotic War, the list of which in Astrakhan, for example, includes several dozen, were created during major battles. Basically, these are evacuation hospitals, such as No. 379, 375, 1008, 1295, 1581, 1585-1596. They were formed during the Battle of Stalingrad, they did not keep records of the dead. Sometimes there were no documents, sometimes a quick move to a new place did not give such an opportunity. Therefore, it is now so difficult to find the burial places of those who died from wounds. There are still missing soldiers to this day.
