Last Wednesday Ukraine held a ghost parade to mark its first Independence Day since Putin sent his armies to conquer the country six months ago. Ever since the Russians invaded Ukraine, there have been more than 600 attacks on the so-needed hospitals and clinics. Access to critical healthcare for the injured and chronically ill has been severely hampered, because of those 600 hospitals and clinics, 450 have been damaged or destroyed. Even more reason for Task Force Health Care to strengthen its ties with its existing public-private network to build back a better, stronger, and resilient healthcare system in Ukraine.
Task Force Health Care continues its efforts to support Ukraine. From calls to action for donations to join forces with Dutch and international companies, the Ukrainian Embassy in the Netherlands, the Ukraine Ministry of Health, and the Dutch government to support the healthcare recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine. On the 7th of July as part of a series of events, the Ukraine-Netherlands Healthcare Recovery and Reconstruction seminar took place to address Ukraine Healthcare Recovery and Reconstruction plans, Dutch-Ukraine collaboration in healthcare, and donor funding from World Bank, EU, EIB, and WHO.
Part of the reconstruction is developing a plan to repair damaged hospitals and build primary healthcare clinics based on the needs assessment of the Ministry of Health and the World bank. The primary focus is not the rebuilding of an existing healthcare system, but to make significant improvements in efficiency and modernisation.
At the same time, emergency humanitarian support is needed right now. A good example of these efforts is a consortium, supported by the Dutch government, led by Hospitainer. The coalition consists of Dutch companies providing mobile hospitals and assistance in rebuilding Ukrainian healthcare. Hospitainer and its consortium supplied multiple medical solutions and care in Ukraine – Hospitainer.
During a joint visit to Kyiv on Monday 22nd of August, Dutch Ministers Schreinemacher for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and Kajsa Ollongren for Defense have recently pledged 65 million euros in additional support for Ukraine to repair hospitals and various infrastructures, such as dykes and bridges. This is much needed support and welcomed by Ukraine.
Task Force Health Care will do everything within its power to support these plans by sharing information, forging partnerships, activating its network, and jointly organising events. Public-private cooperation is in our DNA. Therefore, we look forward to work both with the Dutch, as well as, the Ukrainian government to align efforts to rebuild the Ukrainian healthcare sector.
Photo credits: Hospitainer – ‘Delivered Mobile Hospital (1 of 6)’
