Provision of quality medical care and rehabilitation of children affected by russia’s armed aggression is a priority for the Ministry of Health - Serhii Dubrov

As a result of russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, many citizens – both adults and children – have suffered mine and gunshot injuries and need specialized treatment and further recovery. The issue is complex and concerns both psychological and physical rehabilitation. First Deputy Minister of Healthcare of Ukraine Serhii Dubrov spoke about this during the conference dedicated to the International Children's Day – “War. The unsung lullaby”.

“The full-scale war in Ukraine has caused an overload and posed a serious challenge to the healthcare system. Now one of the most urgent issues for the Ministry of Health is the rehabilitation and recovery of every Ukrainian who suffered as a result of this war. This is especially true for children with injuries and traumas caused by russia's armed aggression. As of today, 1317 children have been injured because of this terrible war,” said Serhii Dubrov, “So now our priority is to do everything to ensure that every child who needs it can receive timely and high-quality medical care and medical rehabilitation.”

The First Deputy Minister of Health said that the field of physical rehabilitation is now actively developing and transforming. Previously, it was about rehabilitating patients after strokes and other serious conditions, while now society has another urgent need for physical rehabilitation of children and adults who have been injured as a result of the war. 

Serhii Dubrov also noted that due to the traumatic experience of war, many children continue to need treatment not only in the acute period, but also after physical rehabilitation.

Thanks to the support of international partners and colleagues, Ukrainian specialists can exchange experience and thus improve their practical skills in this area. As a result, the Ministry of Health is qualitatively changing approaches to rehabilitation.

As for psychological rehabilitation, the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How are you?” is being actively implemented at the initiative of the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. The program is aimed at providing psychological support and preserving the psychological resources of Ukrainians. One of the most important areas of the Program is high-quality professional training in psychological care for primary care physicians. After all, they are the first to come into contact with a child and their family, and can not only provide medical care, but also respond in time and refer the patient to a specialized specialist if necessary. More than 10,000 primary care doctors (family doctors, therapists, paediatricians) have already completed online training, and another thousand have been trained offline. More than 2,000 of them are paediatricians, as well as 66 other children’s doctors.

Another essential step was the inclusion of new packages in the medical guarantees program is “Comprehensive Rehabilitation Care for Adults and Children in Inpatient Settings” and “Support and Treatment of Adults and Children with Mental Disorders at the Primary Health Care Level”.

First Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Serhii Dubrov added that the Ministry is currently improving the medical rehabilitation system to realize the potential of people to recover and help them return to everyday life as soon as possible.