In the Odessa region, five mental health centers and rehabilitation departments will be established based on municipal healthcare institutions. These centers will offer modern medical services for physical rehabilitation and mental health recovery for patients affected by the war.
This is stated in a memorandum of understanding signed between the Odesa Regional State Administration and the French agency Expertise France. The memorandum was signed by Acting Head of the Odessa Regional State Administration Oleksandr Kharlov and Sofia Oliynyk, Director of Expertise France in Ukraine. Deputy Minister of Health Ihor Kopach also participated in the meeting.
The collaboration between the parties will help improve patients' access to essential medical services and strengthen the healthcare system to address the consequences of the full-scale war.
The memorandum outlines that the parties will identify the scope and needs for support to achieve the project's goals, establish coordination between government authorities at various levels, civil society, and local volunteers, and provide technical assistance as per mutual agreements. Additionally, the transfer of expert knowledge, equipment, and materials will be planned.
For the implementation of these measures, Expertise France will:
- Procure necessary goods, equipment, services, and works according to its own procedures and transfer ownership to them under the terms outlined in this agreement;
- Mobilize a technical assistance system consisting of specialized experts for contract processes;
- Engage one or more competent non-governmental organizations to provide support under a grant contract, etc.
The Odessa hospital network consists of 38 healthcare institutions. According to legal requirements, all cluster and over-cluster healthcare facilities must have rehabilitation departments.
Currently, nearly all cluster hospitals in the Odessa region have such departments, creating the conditions for high-quality, comprehensive (physical and mental) rehabilitation of patients.
It should be noted that despite the full-scale war, improving the quality and accessibility of medical care across the country remains one of the Ministry's priorities. Rehabilitation has become a key issue for the healthcare system. Currently, Ukraine is building up its rehabilitation system: modernizing departments, creating barrier-free spaces, supplying modern equipment, training professional multidisciplinary teams, etc. All these actions aim to ensure that every patient has unhindered access to highly specialized medical care and can recover as quickly as possible.
The Ministry of Health of Ukraine expresses its gratitude to its partners for their cooperation and vital assistance to the Ukrainian medical system.
