Rehabilitation center for physical and psychological rehabilitation of children affected by war to be established in Ukraine

The ongoing war in Ukraine leaves deep wounds in the life of every Ukrainian, but the youngest suffer the most – children. They suffer not only physical injuries from bombs and bullets, but also deep psychological shocks that can affect their lives for years. In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Lviv National Medical University named after Danylo Halytskyi, as well as the international foundation “Nadia” from Finland signed a memorandum of cooperation, which provides for the creation of a modern Rehabilitation Center for children affected by the war. This center will become not only a place of physical recovery, but also a center of psychological support, scientific research and implementation of advanced European practices in Ukraine.

As notes Ministry of Health, the project combines the scientific, medical and social efforts of international partners and aims to provide children who have become victims of war with the necessary assistance for their physical and psychological recovery. This center is planned to be built on the basis of the Lviv Medical University, and it will be the first of its kind in Ukraine, focused on comprehensive rehabilitation of young patients.

The reasons and relevance of the establishment of the Rehabilitation Center

Injuries suffered by children in wartime are multifaceted and require a comprehensive approach to rehabilitation. Today, hundreds of thousands of children in Ukraine have witnessed the horrors of war. They are forced to live in constant tension, adapt to conditions of increased danger, hide in bomb shelters and even run away from shelling. Many of these children have suffered losses – dead relatives, destroyed homes, lost childhood. They face extreme psychological challenges, and their physical health can also be undermined by constant stress and trauma.

The Minister of Health of Ukraine, Viktor Lyashko, emphasized that due to the brutal reality of the war, Ukrainian children are the most vulnerable category of patients who need special medical and psychological assistance. Rehabilitation of such patients is not only a medical necessity, but also a social duty of the state.

Cooperation with international partners and the role of the Nadia Foundation

An important part of the project is the involvement of international partners, in particular the “Nadia” foundation from Finland, which has a successful experience of implementing similar projects. The New Children’s Hospital in Finland, established in 2017, has become an example for Ukraine. This foundation has not only financial resources, but also rich experience in organizing rehabilitation programs, implementing telemedicine and organizing scientific research.

The “Nadia” Foundation undertakes to provide financing for the construction and arrangement of a rehabilitation center in Ukraine, attracting international experts to train Ukrainian specialists, which will significantly strengthen the professional capabilities of Ukrainian doctors. The support of international partners is key to the creation of such a center in the conditions of war, when Ukrainian resources are limited.

Stages of project implementation

The project includes three main components: a rehabilitation center, a virtual hospital and a research institute.

• The rehabilitation center will be a place where children can receive high-quality physical and psychological rehabilitation. This includes inpatient and outpatient treatment to help restore physical health after injuries and trauma, as well as provide psychological support to combat the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• The virtual hospital is another innovative aspect of the project, which will allow providing continuous support to patients even at a distance. It will include telemedicine, opportunities for international information exchange and outpatient rehabilitation through virtual consultations with medical specialists from around the world.
• The research institute will become an important part of the center, which will allow the dissemination of advanced European practices in Ukraine. The institute will train specialists, license new methods and develop the latest standards of rehabilitation for children. It will also create conditions for scientific research and integration with international medical institutions.

Financial aspects of the project

Financing the project is one of the key challenges, because the full-scale war has significantly limited Ukraine’s economic opportunities. The “Hope” Foundation undertook to finance a significant part of the project. The Virtual Hospital will receive about 10 million euros, and the Rehabilitation Center will receive 50 million euros. The rest of the funding will be provided at the expense of the Medical Guarantee Program of Ukraine, which will cover the current costs of the center’s maintenance.

This financing model, which combines private and public investment, will create a solid foundation for the successful implementation of the project. Financing will also be directed to the development of the latest rehabilitation techniques and their implementation in practice.

The creation of the Rehabilitation Center for Ukrainian children who suffered war injuries is an important step in the development of the healthcare system in Ukraine. This center will not only provide children with access to modern medical care, but will also contribute to the introduction of the latest European rehabilitation practices, the expansion of telemedicine opportunities, and the development of scientific research. Rehabilitation of children after the war is a long process that requires coordination of efforts of the state, international partners and scientists. The center in Lviv will become a symbol of this cooperation and hope for recovery for those who survived the horrors of war.