Hospital 126 is a complex of several buildings in the district no.1 in Pripyat. It was the only hospital in the city so that was supposed to have professionals able to work with all kinds of health issues. It included a polyclinic, hospital, maternity hospital, infectious disease ward, maternity ward, morgue etc. Today, basement of Pripyat hospital is the most known place there.

Pripyat Hospital and Firefighters` Clothes

To the wards of the facility injured firefighters who were extinguishing the fire at the 4^th unit of Chernobyl power plant were delivered. In total, in the first minutes after the accident, 28 people arrived to the hospital: staff from militarized fire department and security of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and consolidated military fire department of the city of Pripyat.

By 6 o`clock in the morning (the accident occurred at 1.23 am), 108 people from among the firefighters and workers of the station had already been hospitalized.

Another 24 people were admitted to Pripyat hospital during April 26. The victims, who were in extremely serious condition, were prepared for transportation to the 6th clinical hospital in Moscow.

All things, including firefighters clothes, outerwear of the victims and the bedsheets on which they were lying, uniforms and shoes were thrown into the basement, as they were full of radioactive particles and it was dangerous for both the people who arrived to the hospital and medical personnel.

So, if you wonder what is so radioactive in the Pripyat hospital basement, the answer is clothes.

How Dangerous is the Pripyat Hospital Basement?

Generally, the background of radiation in Pripyat hospital is quite normal. The level of radiation goes up to 3,000 μSv/hour when the normal atmospheric level is up to 0.3 μSv/hour. It is not only because of the high radiation background, but because there are still many different chemicals and other things that might be dangerous for health.

Pripyat Hospital Today

After the evacuation of population, almost all the equipment was taken to Slavutich. Since that time, the facility was no longer in use. Abandoned hospital is one of the sites included in the official tourist tour program. It is strictly forbidden to visit the basement of the medical unit. Because many curious visitors still wanted to take risk and to get down to the basement, the entrance there was covered with a ton of sand.

You can see Pripyat Hospital with your own eyes with our exclusive Chernobyl tours.