First Lady on international medical partnership: It is our chance to save more lives

The relevant statement was made by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the seminar “Partnership for Transformation: Shaping the Future of Healthcare in Ukraine”, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

“For me personally, international medical partnership is one of the most important results of the year. It was launched on the sidelines of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in September, where for the first time the heads of the Ministry of Health from different countries were also invited. And this medical fraternity is our chance to save even more lives,” Zelenska said.

In her words, Ukraine has very powerful and dedicated doctors, and international medical partnership is an opportunity to help them not to burn out but preserve themselves and work even more effectively.

The First Lady mentioned that Ukrainian hospitals are overloaded, as they are saving both victims of Russian attacks and other patients. Therefore, since the Russian invasion started, Ukraine has been grateful for any manifestation of medical cooperation with the world.

According to Zelenska, at the beginning of the war, it was manifested in the evacuation of severe patients and in the arrival of foreign medical teams to Ukraine.

“The drawback was that not all patients could go abroad, and not all the world’s best doctors could come here. We needed a system that would work continuously. That’s how the idea of international medical partnerships came about, when a Ukrainian hospital cooperates with a specific foreign hospital. In fact, a twinning is being established between medical institutions, and they are already cooperating directly, depending on a specific need, on each unique situation,” Zelenska told.

She noted that medical partnership is a bilateral process.

“Ukraine also has something to give and share. Our experience in treating polytrauma and in extreme medicine is now the largest in the world. Our doctors, including surgeons, cope with extremely difficult tasks of saving lives every day. This is something we can and should share,” Zelenska stressed.

The First Lady expressed gratitude to WHO Representative in Ukraine Dr. Jarno Habicht and Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko, who also attended the event.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine