All stoma-patients in our country are left to their own resources after their operation, because of the lack of a stoma-care environment in our country (stoma-consulting rooms, stoma-nurses, stoma-therapeutists and etc.). Most stoma-patients have no information about stoma care, have neither stoma supplies nor money for buying them. Most of our stoma-invalids don't have Internet access and they don't know anything about "Ostomy World", about wonderful possibilities of the ostomy people all over the world. They even don't want any help from anybody! Basically the main difficulties are that there are no laws covering stoma-invalids in our country.

The group of enthusiasts (stoma-invalids) decided to join hands and establish an organization in Odessa (Ukraine) to help our stoma patients.

We overcame a very difficult period of registration procedures of our organization. But at last on January 2002 we became an official ostomate organization of stoma-invalids "Odessa-ILCO" which covers the Odessa region (the South region of the Ukraine).

Objectives of the "Odessa-ILCO" activity:

1.To change Ukrainian Legislation to protect stoma-invalids rights;

2.To establish stoma care for patients before operation, during operation and after operation (rehabilitation);

3.To establish stoma-consulting rooms at the Odessa (for South Region of the Ukraine);

4. To organize training study for nurses and therapeutists at the Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg  (and maybe abroad in future) to make them stoma-nurses and stoma-therapeutists;
5. To find sources to support our organization and provide stoma-invalids with.

The next step of our activity was to organize stoma-consulting room. For that we get into contact with Odessa Municipal Hospital №10. Thanks to the Head Proctologist of the Odessa-city Dr. Valeriy Ph. Varbanets this room was opened on the 2-th of August 2003 at the Odessa Municipal Hospital №10. For now we have possibility to help patients before operation and after operation (rehabilitation). But of course our resources are very limited and we need help from anybody for help us by stoma-supplies.
 

We have contacts with organizations "Kiev-ILCO" and Lviv "Assosiation-ILCO" from Ukraine, with Russian ostomy organization (Moscow, Sankt-Petersburg) and foreign ostomy associations. We get great help from Deutche-ILCO and personally Dr. Gerhard Englert.
 

            On August 2004 during the 11-th EOA Congress, "Odessa-ILCO" was elected as associate member of EOA and President of "Odessa-ILCO" Efim Krasner was elected in the EOA Co-ordinating Council.
 

We hope that in future all Ukrainian regional ostomy organizations will unify and become "Ukraine-ILCO".

The 10-th Municipal Hospital of Odessa

In proctological branch of the Odessa Municipal Hospital №10 headed by the main proctologist of Odessa Dr. Valeriy Ph. Varbanets, a great deal of all operations in Odessa area are carried out. Dr. Valeriy Ph. Varbanets provided the big practical help to the "Odessa-ILCO" during its formation and development. Experts of proctological branch of the Odessa Municipal Hospital №10 and "Odessa-ILCO" staff are working together. On this basis the first Odessa Advisory center of rehabilitation stoma patients will be created. The surgical rehabilitation will be able as well.

. Contacts: Odessa-65072, a/b-13, yl. Generala Petrova 38, kv. 75, Ukraine
                 Tel.: +38-(0482)-65-91-71                       E-mail Contact