SANATORIUM AND RESORT RECREATION SERVICES FOR CHILD POPULATION IN USSR IN POST-WWII PERIOD (1946 TO 1950)

Abstract

Article represents the results of historical and medical bibliographical research reflecting the issues of restoration and continuous improvement of pediatric sanatorium and resort healthcare system in USSR during the post-WWII period. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the state of sanatorium and resort recreational services for child population whose health indicators highly deteriorated during WWII. The healthcare authorities in USSR faced the task of developing effective measures for the speedy restoration of children's health. In solving this problem, the highest importance was given to the development of children's sanatorium and resort healthcare system. Based on the thorough research of both published and unpublished documents in the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), articles published in journals, scientific digests, chapters from monograph works, etc., it was found that almost all pediatric sanatoriums, the “Pioneer Camps” and other healthcare institutions, especially those located in the Soviet southern resorts, were occupied by the Nazis during the WWII and were fully or partially destroyed due to hostilities, plus the survived ones have then been reorganized into evacuation facilities and temporary hospitals. That is the reason why the restoration of sanatorium and resort recreational facilities became one of the priority tasks in the post-WWII period. Despite huge growth in the number of pediatric sanatoriums and other children’s health-improving institutions in 1947 compared to 1946, a decrease in child morbidity rate, an increase in the medical staff count serving pediatric patients, the recreational system had showed certain defects. Negative trends were caused by the lack in financing, laborers and qualified staff as well as re-profiling of children's healthcare facilities into those for adults. Thanks to the timely and adequate governmental measures intent to the restoration of pediatric sanatorium and resort recreation services, the bed capacity reached the pre-WWII level by 1950; a network of specialized sanatoriums started to develop and therefore increase in the health-improving measures efficiency was noted then.