Medical care in the FSU is dismal.
Hospitals often lack the most essential supplies and equipment.
In many cases they do not have heat and patients must wear winter clothing and coats as they shiver under thin blankets. It is important to keep in mind that winters in the FSU are severe with temperatures routinely dipping down to 30 degrees below zero. The cold in an unheated building in this climate can be bone-chilling and extremely dangerous. Surgeries often take place with outdated, inadequate equipment. Patients must more often than not supply their own linen, food and medicines.