In cooperation with the Israeli-Ukrainian non-governmental organization FRIDA, we managed to create a medical team that will move between smaller towns in the east of the country. They will have two cars equipped with the most important medical devices at their disposal. Each team consists of two doctors and two nurses, additionally supported by a pharmacist. Regular visits to selected towns will allow distribution of medicines and control of outbreaks of diseases that may occur in the region.

The mobile nature of the clinics will allow us to reach more people in need of medical attention. We can expect that some residents, especially the elderly and those with mobility problems, have not monitored their health since before Covid-19. This means that some of them did not take medications or did not verify whether the measures taken were appropriate for their health condition, or whether they should be treated in a different way due to the appearance of new ailments - says Marcin Choiński, project coordinator of mobile clinics on behalf of Polish Mission Medical.

Medical facilities, staff, and patients present in them are constantly exposed to threats. By the end of May this year, the World Health Organization had recorded 1,004 attacks. The statistics include not only shellings but also any acts affecting access to healthcare for people in need. 101 people, both patients and medical staff, died in them, and many others were injured. One in ten Ukrainian hospitals was directly damaged by the attacks, with the greatest damage recorded in the eastern oblasts of Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, as well as Kherson and Kyiv.

We had to spend a lot of time to prepare as best as possible for the threat that could affect our work in the region. The quality of the examinations performed must be in line with the standards, doctors must be fully focused on working with patients, although they will always be accompanied by the vision of the need to evacuate immediately. We must be sure that we have done everything in our power to provide them with conditions to work and return home safely - adds Marcin Choiński.

In the period from April to June last year, Polish Medical Mission ran medical first aid points on the Ukrainian side of border crossings, doctors also made external visits to reception points where refugees from eastern Ukraine were staying. These experiences allowed us to create a new support program, this time to reach people who have not left their homes. We continue to provide specialist assistance to Ukrainian hospitals, enabling them to continue functioning by filling in the gaps resulting from the difficult situation of the country.