The Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko, the rector of the Lviv National Medical University named after Danylo Halytskyi Orest Chemeris, and the chairperson of the Supervisory Board of the Children's Hospital Foundation and the "Nadia" Research Institute (Finland) Anna-Katerina Berner signed a memorandum of cooperation. The purpose of the collaboration is to implement a project for the creation of a Rehabilitation Center for the physical and psychological rehabilitation of Ukrainian children who have experienced physical and psychological losses, injuries, and trauma as a result of the full-scale war, based at the university.
“The full-scale war has touched every Ukrainian. Today we talk about the most vulnerable category of Ukrainian patients who have suffered psychological or physical injuries due to the war and now need rehabilitation — our children. Due to the war, Ukrainian children are forced to leave their homes and accustomed way of life, hiding daily from bombings and attacks by the Russian Federation in shelters, and those children living in combat zones have unfortunately witnessed armed attacks and are experiencing extremely traumatic experiences. We must do everything possible to provide them with the necessary treatment and help them recover as soon as possible. Thanks to the active support and assistance of our international partners, including the 'Nadia' foundation, we plan to create a modern and powerful rehabilitation center based at the Lviv Medical University, where young patients will be able to receive necessary treatment and rehabilitation. I am grateful to all partners for such strong support for Ukraine in the development of the rehabilitation system in the healthcare sector during this challenging time,” said the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko.
As part of the memorandum, it is planned to establish a pediatric medical rehabilitation center to provide quality physical and psychological rehabilitation assistance. The project will include a virtual hospital, a rehabilitation center, and a research institute, including:
- The rehabilitation center will be a center of excellence for quality medical rehabilitation dedicated to pediatric patients (both inpatient and outpatient physical and psychological rehabilitation);
- The virtual hospital will include telemedicine, international support for competence levels, and triage for outpatient rehabilitation. The hospital will utilize a virtual platform in its operations;
- The research and educational institute will disseminate European rehabilitation practices for the development of medical rehabilitation in Ukraine. The training center will focus on training and licensing specialists, developing new best practices that can be spread in Ukraine and beyond.
According to the memorandum, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine will facilitate the implementation of telemedicine technologies and the integration of the virtual hospital with other medical facilities, support information exchange with international scientific institutions in the field of medical rehabilitation, coordinate the creation of the rehabilitation center within the national network of healthcare facilities, etc.
The foundation's task is to engage international experts to support and train Ukrainian specialists, implement advanced European practices in the activities of the Research Center, ensure funding for the construction and equipping of the Rehabilitation Center, and more.
Lviv Medical University will provide technical and scientific support for the implementation of telemedicine solutions, facilitate the implementation of the Virtual Hospital and Research Center based on the university’s healthcare facilities, conduct research on the effectiveness of rehabilitation methods, and promote the establishment of the Rehabilitation Center through the involvement of specialists, resources, and expertise from the university in providing medical services.
It should be noted that for the implementation of the project, the successful experience of Finland in establishing the New Children's Hospital in 2017 will be taken into account. The funding for the project by the "Nadia" foundation will be provided over the next 5-7 years. The financing of the Virtual Hospital will amount to about 10 million euros, while the Rehabilitation Center will require 50 million euros. The remaining funds will be obtained through the implementation of the Medical Guarantees Program. The establishment of the Research Center will initially be covered by the foundation.
The implementation of the project will contribute to the creation and development of a modern rehabilitation center accessible to all Ukrainian children and families, where effective methods of physical and psychological rehabilitation will be implemented and leading European practices for the development of medical rehabilitation in Ukraine will be disseminated. Additionally, this center will be a place where telemedicine opportunities will be utilized to ensure that every child receives the specialized care they deserve, free of charge, regardless of their location. The center will bring together leading specialists and medical professionals for educational, scientific, and innovative activities and the development of progressive approaches to treating Ukrainian children.
