Ukraine signed the 50th memorandum within the international medical partnership

On 15 October, during the visit of a Swedish delegation headed by the Minister for Health Care of Sweden, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, in Kyiv, a memorandum on international medical cooperation between Rivne Regional War Veterans Hospital and the Swedish Spinalis Foundation was signed. The event, attended by Ukraine’s Minister of Health Viktor Liashko and First Lady Olena Zelenska, laid the groundwork for further collaboration in the field of rehabilitation between Ukraine and Sweden.

The signing of the 50th memorandum within the international medical partnership became possible mainly through the efforts of First Lady Olena Zelenska. This initiative was launched during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen held in Kyiv on 6 September 2023.

Thanks to strengthening international medical partnerships, Ukrainian healthcare workers can exchange knowledge and experience with foreign colleagues, helping advance the medical sector at all levels. The insights gained through this collaboration will be then used within leading medical practices to benefit Ukrainian patients. Currently, the medical partnership initiative encompasses 19 countries, 38 foreign medical institutions, and 32 Ukrainian healthcare facilities across 12 regions, including Kyiv.

The Rivne Regional War Veterans Hospital in Klevan specialises in rehabilitating patients with severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. The facility is equipped with modern technology and staffed by highly trained specialists, including international teams that share their expertise. A new building is currently under construction, expanding the hospital’s capacity to 300 beds, allowing it to treat up to 7,500 patients annually.

‘The Rivne Regional War Veterans Hospital in Klevan is a unique facility where individuals recover from severe traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. Unfortunately, the number of such cases is increasing due to the ongoing war. Therefore, it’s important for us to create the necessary conditions to ensure that people can recover, even after such serious injuries,’ – said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.

Furthermore, the event featured the presentation of the Ukrainian version of the handbook ‘SPINALIS. A New Page of Life with Spinal Cord Injury’. The SPINALIS handbook is now available in electronic format on the ‘How are you?’ platform website. Printed copies of the edition will also be distributed to rehabilitation centres, organisations working with people with spinal cord injuries, and regional military administrations.

The Spinalis Foundation was established in 1989 to initiate and support research on spinal cord injuries. Its mission is to help individuals with such injuries lead full lives. In Sweden, Spinalis actively participates in the rehabilitation of spinal cord injury patients and collaborates with the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. In addition, over the past year, the foundation has been working to improve the quality of life for people in Ukraine with spinal cord injuries, sharing knowledge and expertise in this field.

‘I am especially pleased to host Swedish friends and partners of Ukraine in Kyiv today. Sweden has consistently and confidently supported Ukraine and our people – both those seeking refuge, fleeing Russian aggression, and those in need of rehabilitation and recovery,’ – said First Lady Olena Zelenska during her speech at the event.