Kharkiv, Ukraine, 1 November 2023
The ongoing war in Ukraine continues to bring daily destruction across the country, severely impacting and disrupting the health-care sector. WHO has recorded over 1300 attacks on health care since 24 February 2022.
To ensure continued access to primary health-care services in areas where facilities have been destroyed or irreparably damaged, WHO and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine have opened new, modular primary health-care clinics to serve affected communities.
Modular clinics can be assembled and installed in 10 to 14 days using a varying number of prefabricated modules depending on the required number of rooms. All clinics are equipped with essential amenities including electricity, sanitary facilities, sewage systems, waiting rooms and patient examination rooms. Generators and fans are provided to maintain an optimal environment for health-care delivery.
The pilot project, sponsored by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, will include 15 facilities in hard-to-reach communities near the frontline.
Nimble solutions for continuity of care
The project began in July, and has opened 8 facilities so far. Maryna Slobodnichenko, Deputy Minister of Health for European Integration, along with a WHO team, visited 2 newly opened clinics in the villages of Tsyrkuny and Hrakove in Kharkivska oblast.
“Thanks to strong support and cooperation with WHO and other international partners, we are managing to restore health-care facilities and to provide patients with high-quality and affordable services despite extremely difficult times,” she explained.
“Installation of modular primary health-care clinics in villages such as Tsyrkuny and Hrakove will provide residents with access to the necessary medical care and quickly solve the problem [of disrupted health-care services] in the region now.”
The newly installed clinic in Tsyrkuny, staffed with 3 doctors, will be open 6 days per week to serve a community of more than 3700 people. Consisting of 8 prefabricated modules – a fully functional medical facility – it replaces the village’s original outpatient clinic, which was destroyed in the spring of 2022.
The outpatient clinic for general practice and family medicine in the village of Hrakove is also replacing a prior dispensary, destroyed last year. It will be staffed with 1 doctor and 2 nurses – the same personnel who worked in the original facility, ensuring continuity of care. The Hrakove clinic, consisting of 5 prefabricated modules, will cater to the needs of 300 people, 5 days per week.
Shelters linked to primary health-care clinics
To allow for additional security given the facilities’ proximity to the contact line, WHO has equipped both with a dedicated shelter nearby, providing a safe haven for 10 people at a time.
Emanuele Bruni, the WHO Country Office in Ukraine’s Incident Manager, noted, “Modular facilities are incredibly nimble health-care units that can be quickly installed on the spot. These units are one of WHO’s key projects for response and recovery to ensure continued access to much-needed care for residents of rural communities and those returning home.”
He added, “While the facilities are ultimately a temporary solution, they are essential to bolstering trust in the health-care system and serving as replacements for damaged facilities for up to 10 years.”