A doctor with a big heart. A story about Elena Leonovich, who has been heading the Vitebsk Regional Maternity Hospital for 20 years

Elena Leonovich, the chief physician of the Vitebsk Regional Maternity Hospital, believes that women should receive quality and timely medical care regardless of their place of residence. Today, this is the daily reality of healthcare in the Vitebsk region.

"Gentlemen, your wives will give birth here."

Elena Leonovich has been heading the maternity hospital for 20 years. Recalling her school years, the interviewee shares that she made a conscious decision to become an obstetrician-gynecologist in the 10th grade.

— My school friend and I chose medicine for ourselves. I love my profession very much, and no matter how difficult it was, I never doubted my choice. If I had to go through this path again, I would still come here.

She took over the maternity hospital during a period of large-scale construction work at the institution. In 2006, the head of state decided to re-equip perinatal centers. The regional maternity hospital, built in 1960, was included in the state program.

— Construction of an extension to the main building began in September, and in July 2008, we opened the renovated maternity hospital, — says the chief physician. — Together with the builders, we did everything to create comfortable conditions for women, children, and medical staff. Delivery rooms, operating rooms, and intensive care units are all located nearby so that we can provide medical assistance in a timely manner.

Elena Gennadievna gratefully recalls the help and support provided by Governor Vladimir Andreichenko and Mayor Petr Drozdov. Daily planning meetings were held. More than 20 subcontracting organizations worked on the site, and the maternity hospital was built in less than a year.

She recalls with a smile the mayor's words to the builders: "Guys, your wives will give birth here, your children will be born. Therefore, we must do everything best for them, the highest quality that exists in our country, must be here."

— The maternity hospital was built with love. After 18 years, it is in excellent condition. Once again, I want to thank all the builders who worked at our facility for their quality work, — says Elena Leonovich.

A job where a miracle happens every day

Elena Leonovich is "Person of the Year of Vitebsk Region", "Woman of the Year", a deputy of the City Council of Deputies, and a board member of the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Belarusian Union of Women.

— One person is no match for the battle. All our achievements, providing assistance to mothers and children, are the work of the entire team in which I work. The most important reward for us, medical workers, is the health of our mothers and babies who are born in our healthcare institution. The first tears of joy in a mother's eyes, the first cry of a baby... and all the problems that arose during the provision of medical care, difficult cases, are forgotten.

Elena Gennadievna notes that a miracle happens every day in the maternity hospital when a baby is born, a new member of our society — a beloved son or daughter, whom the whole family is waiting for.

There are two maternity hospitals in Vitebsk Region: the regional one and City Clinical Maternity Hospital No. 2 in Vitebsk. The regional hospital serves 14 districts. Novopolotsk and Orsha maternity hospitals provide medical care to mothers and children at the inter-district level.

Elena Leonovich emphasizes that when a woman registers for prenatal care, the medic's task is to choose the right referral pathway: to assess the risks to the health of the baby and mother and select the most suitable institution for her to receive timely medical care.

According to statistics, more than 60% of women give birth in Vitebsk, 39% in regional maternity hospitals, and only 1% go to the RSPC "Mother and Child". The chief physician emphasizes that all conditions have been created in the region for mothers and newborns to receive quality medical care.

Under the personal control of the President

Issues of providing medical care to mothers and children are under the personal control of the President. The chief physician notes that all conditions have been created for women to give birth. Social support has received the greatest development in our republic, while in many countries in the post-Soviet space it is absent.

— Many foreign colleagues are envious of the support we have, — says Elena Gennadievna. — Mothers receive 13 types of benefits, and a family capital is paid. Special assistance is provided to large families and single mothers. Certain categories of children under 3 years of age are eligible for drug discounts. Families can use subsidies for housing construction. A woman is granted childcare leave up to 3 years, and her job is preserved. The Decree No. 100 "On In Vitro Fertilization" adopted by the President provides for expanding the accessibility of assisted reproductive technologies for women. The document envisages conducting two free IVF attempts instead of one.

In the Vitebsk region, the IVF commission, headed by Elena Leonovich, has been operating for five years.

— About 150 couples apply to us annually. There is no waiting list for IVF. The commission holds meetings every Tuesday, — says the chief physician. — The first stage begins at women's clinics, where a woman undergoes examination at her place of residence. Then, if necessary, we recommend additional examination, after which we provide a referral to one of the three medical institutions in the country: the Republican Scientific and Practical Center "Mother and Child", the second maternity hospital in Minsk, and the maternity hospital in Gomel. According to the Decree, if the first IVF attempt is successful and a child is born, a woman under 49 years of age, if her health permits, can also use this procedure free of charge. The Decree will come into force in less than three months, and all indications and contraindications will soon be clearly defined.

Elena Leonovich emphasizes that providing a second IVF attempt to women in marriage and those not in it is exceptional support from the state, an example for other countries in implementing socially oriented policies.

Family Territory: A New Standard at the Vitebsk Maternity Hospital

Recently, the first family-type ward was opened within the maternity hospital.

— I had been nurturing this idea for a long time; it's not new for Belarus. Similar wards already exist in other cities. And I am glad that our partner, the football club "Vitebsk," which practices implementing social initiatives, helped us bring it to life. It is important for the family to be together from the very first moments of a child's birth. I believe that seeing the baby's first grimaces and stretches is important for both the mother and the father. It brings the family closer, strengthens their love for each other, their responsibility for the baby, and their desire to make him the happiest in the world.

The regional maternity hospital also practices partner births, and has an individual delivery room. Before childbirth, couples attend the School for Future Mothers at women's health clinics and receive consultative assistance. According to the chief physician, the regional maternity hospital has created the necessary conditions for partner births; in March, four couples utilized this service.

There is another heartwarming family tradition at the regional maternity hospital. On May 15, the Day of Meeting with Maternity Hospital Graduates is held. This year, the celebration will take place for the fifth time. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as public organizations, help organize interactive platforms, a festive program, and fun games.

— We always joyfully meet with the children born in our institution and their families, — says Elena Leonovich. — Situations vary: premature babies or those with illnesses are born. And when parents come with babies who were born weighing less than a kilogram, and today at three years old they are already reciting poetry, it indicates that medical care at all its levels is provided professionally and at a high level.

Health School

Preserving women's reproductive health is one of the key areas of work for women's health clinics. Special emphasis is placed on preventive measures for girls and boys, as male infertility also occurs in the modern world.

Discussions on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and oncological diseases are held among youth audiences.

— Cervical screening, Pap tests, HPV tests, and examinations of women allow for the early detection of oncological diseases, — says the doctor. — Currently, 92% of cervical cancers are detected at stage zero and stage one.

Vaccination of girls against the human papillomavirus began on October 25, 2025. This is also a state program, so vaccination is free of charge. Over 75% of girls have already received their first injection. This also demonstrates the state's care for the younger generation.

For women planning pregnancy, the chief physician of the regional maternity hospital advises visiting a gynecologist, undergoing a medical examination, and assessing their health and that of their partner.

— If there are problems, it is necessary to undergo sanitation, preliminary preparation, and, if necessary, consult a geneticist, — advises the doctor. — A trusting conversation with a gynecologist will allow you to get referrals for specific types of medical care. Pregnancy is not an illness, but a physiological state of a woman. It is the most wonderful stage of a future mother's life, when she carries a baby and feels its movements.

During pregnancy support, each obstetrician-gynecologist goes through this journey with the patient, worries about her, and supports her during difficulties and problems. But when the baby is born, all these challenges are forgotten, because a new miracle, happiness, is born.

Vitebskiye Vesti