High-tech medical assistance takes a leading role among the needs of Ukrainians, especially when it comes to socially vulnerable groups, which primarily include combat veterans, war veterans, internally displaced persons, and families of soldiers who have lost contact with their protectors, considered missing under special circumstances.
During the large-scale war with the aggressor and the Ukrainians' fight for freedom, independence, identity, and the right to be masters of their own land, all medical institutions have consolidated and work in incredible synergy and mutual support to achieve the most effective results in helping those in need.
Since July 2023 and until February 22 of this year, the NOVO Medical Center has implemented the program "Providing High-Tech Innovative Medical Services to Socially Vulnerable Groups in Lviv Oblast," named NOVO_helpforpeople. This became possible thanks to a grant from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom. During the grant period, over 1,800 free MRI, CT, ultrasound diagnostics, and endoscopic examinations were provided to combat participants and war veterans, more than 280 patients from military hospitals with referrals from chief doctors, 125 internally displaced persons under 18 years old, and nearly 70 family members of soldiers missing under special circumstances. Patients can receive European-standard examination results performed on high-tech diagnostic equipment with maximum safety and convenience. This was confirmed by representatives and experts of the grant donors during a monitoring mission visit to the NOVO Medical Center in November 2023.
"At NOVO, combat participants who already have the corresponding certificate, as well as those defenders currently issued a certificate of direct participation in the combat zone or about the circumstances of an injury received while performing a mission, can undergo diagnostics. Every soldier is a hero to us, and we work to help each one get the necessary medical assistance, understanding how important their mission is in achieving peace in Ukraine. I should note that many women combat participants come to us, and it is a great honor for us to help them, understanding how significant their sacrifice is for a greater cause," - says Taras Lysak, Director of the Charitable Foundation "Center for Medical Innovations."
Within the project, 5 focus groups were held with medical experts, veterans, military personnel, and representatives from the public sector in Lviv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. These events aimed to identify a range of difficulties and problems faced by military personnel, veterans, and medical professionals, and to develop joint solutions for rapid response to contemporary challenges. Therefore, the team of experts from the Charitable Foundation "Center for Medical Innovations" is working on developing proposals for amending regulatory acts of state and local government to affirm the rights of socially vulnerable groups to receive free diagnostic services from state and local budgets.
According to Oleksandr Maksimchuk, President of the "Association of Philanthropists of Ukraine" and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the NOVO Medical Center, "thanks to the British grant, we managed to conduct a large-scale advocacy campaign and initiate a nationwide program called 'Veteran's Clinic,' aimed at uniting medical and social structures to help military personnel and their families. Inclusion, stakeholder engagement, and cooperation with experts are crucial as they are an integral part of the long-term process of creating a powerful ecosystem - the Synergy of Good. We were able to assess the challenges and our capability to face them and plan to expand our activities and implement ambitious ideas in the development of the charity system in Ukraine."
A significant factor in working with this special category of patients has been the collaboration between the NOVO team and psychologists, as professional support and counseling facilitate proper interaction and help develop communication skills. "Working with special categories of patients, the medical and administrative staff of the Center have gained invaluable experience in work, communication, and interaction, because today more than ever, we understand that Ukrainians, directly or indirectly affected by the military aggression of the occupying country, need empathy and understanding," - notes Angela Diba, Medical Director of the NOVO Medical Center.
Involving the media to highlight the purpose, conditions, and stages of the program implementation allowed for transparent dissemination of information about the project to a wide audience.
To determine the scope of expanding the Center's activities and attracting investments after the completion of the grant from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom, the administrative team of the Charitable Foundation "Center for Medical Innovations," together with involved managers, media experts, and the project leader, conducted a Strategic Session where they discussed the creation of an integrated operational model for expanding the scope of charity.
Following the implementation of the grant program, two interim round tables were held in Lviv and Kyiv, with the main concept being the discussion among representatives of Ukraine's medical management sector, the public, and deputies on the accessibility, quality, and financing of medical services for veterans, military personnel, and internally displaced persons, the application of effective rehabilitation methods, and the significant role of the private medical sector in aiding socially vulnerable groups.
The final stage of the program "Providing High-Tech Innovative Medical Services to Socially Vulnerable Groups in Lviv Oblast," or NOVO_helpforpeople, implemented by the NOVO Medical Center over 8 months, will be a round table on February 23, 2024, in Lviv, where project managers will present the results, share valuable experiences in providing medical services under current conditions, and, together with invited representatives from the British Embassy, central Ukrainian government, NGOs, and medical institutions, discuss the prospects for medical development and expanded opportunities. Importantly, combat participants and internally displaced persons who directly received medical services under the NOVO_helpforpeople program will be present at the event.
We express our sincere thanks to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom for providing the opportunity to implement this powerful project, which, without doubt, will give impetus to new initiatives, because synergy and support for a common goal and the titanic work for the health of Ukrainians and the future of the nation are invaluable.
This project was implemented by the Charitable Foundation "Center for Medical Innovations" thanks to a grant from the "Support for Civil Society Organizations in Ukraine" Program, within the financial support of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom. The program is implemented by Crown Agents in partnership with International Alert and in cooperation with Crown Agents in Ukraine.
Yulia Hurii
