Healthcare infrastructure naturally comes under heavy strain during the war time. In Ukraine, the situation is aggravated by the fact that it was still going through COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Russian attack is accompanied by discriminate strikes against medical institutions – more than 616 healthcare establishments have been damaged, more than 100 out of them completely destroyed, as a result of the Russian invasion.
Ukrainian doctors and nurses keep working to save lives even in these dire circumstances, demonstrating that heroes can be found at the home front as well. Volunteer battalion “Hospitaliers” stands out in particular, operating directly at the frontline to save lives. Founded in 2014, it has done a tremendous amount of work, including medical training. “Hospitaliers” heavily rely on crowdfunding, and everyone can support their effort – see the link below.
However, employees of regular hospitals, maternity wings, pediatricians, ambulance workers who are perhaps not as visible do an equally vital job. They are under strain not just physically, but also emotionally, having witnessed tremendous amount of violence first-hand. Some stories stand out more than others – for example, how few doctors kept a hospital running in currently occupied Mariupol, when it was under heavy fire and gas, electricity and water had already become scarce with a flow of heavily injured people increasing every day.
Healthcare workers save the lives of Ukrainian servicemen and women, civilians that suffer heavily due to the war, try to stretch themselves for taking care of those who suffer from chronic or serious diseases that did not disappear because of the Russian aggression and, on the contrary, are aggravated by stress. Their efforts deserve recognition, public celebration and a reminder that Russian war affects everyone in Ukraine – and beyond its borders
Hospitaliers: https://www.hospitallers.life.
Speakers:
- Yana Zinkevych, commander of the Hospitallers Medical Battalion, MP
- Kateryna Sokolova, doctor, head of the infectious department of a hospital, Dnipro
- Viktor Rokutov, doctor, head of the children’s orthopedic and trauma department, Dnipro.
UKRAINE IN FLAMES project is created by Ukraine Crisis Media Center, Ukrainian Catholic University’s analitical center and NGO “Euroatlantic Course”. We are aiming at searching a loud support for Ukraine in the war started by Russia on the 24th of February 2022.
If you want to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, check the link with recommendations by Ukraine Crisis Media Center – https://uacrisis.org/en/help-ukraine.
NGO Euroatlantic Course collects donations to support Ukrainian Army and civilians – https://eac.org.ua/en/main-page/.
