Donetsk, Dec 21 - DAN. DPR doctors provided medical assistance to 560 residents of Kiev-held areas of Donetsk region under the aegis of the Donbass People Reunification humanitarian programme, the Republic’s acting Health Care Minister Alexander Oprischenko said at a meeting here on Thursday.

“As of 22 December, dedicated skilled medical assistance had been provided to 560 residents living in Ukraine-controlled territory of Donetsk Region,” Oprischenko said.

Chemotherapy courses were taken by 184 patients, including three children, and another 67 people had surgery. Thirty-three patients, including three children were treated for cancer at the Emergency and Restorative Surgery Institute. Seventy-three prosthetic limb surgeries and 45 pacemaker surgeries were performed.

The official said that humanitarian programme hotline operators had taken more than 5,000 calls concerning medical assistance issues. The largest number of calls came from residents of Mariupol, Volnovakha, Kramatorsk and Krasnoarmeisk (called Pokrovsk in Ukraine).

On February 17, DPR launched the Donbass people reunification programme aiming to support socially vulnerable groups of the population. The health care segment of the programme envisions medical assistance in seven fields including obstetrics, chemotherapy and prosthetics. *jk