Problems and prospects for rehabilitation of military personnel in Kyiv region were discussed in Kyiv
On Wednesday, the press center of the "Interfax-Ukraine" agency hosted a meeting of the discussion club "Capital Region" on the topic: "Problems and prospects of organizing rehabilitation for military personnel in the Kyiv region: positive examples and systemic shortcomings."
The event was organized by the news agency "My Kyiv Region", the Institute of Ukrainian Politics, and the charitable foundation "Ukrainian Hromada".
Participants in the discussion included representatives of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, veterans' organizations, medical institutions, civic initiatives, and the media. Key topics included the condition of the region’s medical infrastructure, experience in public-private partnerships, rehabilitation programs, as well as shortcomings in funding and access to assistance.
The moderator of the event, Oleksii Usachov, noted that the gathering aims to develop practical recommendations for improving the rehabilitation situation. According to him, initial inspections conducted a year and a half ago revealed a number of serious issues, but the situation has since improved in several centers.
"Today, there are examples where servicemen and their families are satisfied with the conditions. It is important to share this experience, as change is possible," said Usachov.
Pavlo Yakymchuk, advisor to the head of the Kyiv RMA on veteran policy, emphasized the need for more efficient use of budget funds. He noted that he underwent rehabilitation abroad due to a shortage of available spots in Ukraine, and called for more active cooperation with civil society initiatives.
"Inequitable funding remains a problem. Without involving the public sector, we will not be able to improve the situation," said Yakymchuk.
Oleksandr Kikin, a representative of the NGO "United by Golf" and a veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, spoke about the lack of accessible information regarding rehabilitation centers and shared his experience of physical and psychological adaptation through golf.
"Information about the centers is often inaccessible, and bureaucracy complicates access to services. We need a unified database for veterans with disabilities," Kikin emphasized.
Daryna Melnyk, director of the Kyiv Regional Clinical Hospital (KNP KOR), reported that a prosthetics laboratory has been completed at the medical facility, and the next step will be the construction of a golf course. According to her, the success was achieved thanks to public-private partnership.
"Cooperation with the Pinchuk Foundation made it possible to establish a modern rehabilitation unit. But without the involvement of the state and business, our capabilities are limited," said Melnyk.
Military doctor Danylo Mykhailov, the initiator of the "Train of Life" project, highlighted the shortage of rehabilitation places and called for cooperation with international institutions.
"We have three categories of veterans, and not all of them have access to rehabilitation. Without incorporating international experience, we risk losing people who could have been saved," said Mykhailov.
Nataliia Kryshtal, director of the Department of Health of the Kyiv RMA, emphasized the role of communities and the veterans themselves in developing the rehabilitation system, as well as the importance of implementing programs in all localities of the region.
"We aim to implement programs in every community. We have a positive example at the regional hospital, and we will continue to build on this experience," said Kryshtal.
The event participants agreed on the need to create a unified informational resource on rehabilitation services, involve foreign partners, and strengthen cross-sector cooperation. As Oleksii Usachov noted at the end of the discussion, positive examples should be scaled up, and other regions should be invited to share experiences.
