Since 2022, Ukraine has been one of the biggest and most critical emergency responses we have undertaken. Over this period, more than 200 healthcare professionals, including NHS (National Health Service) staff and international medics, have been deployed to deliver vital medical assistance. In the wake of over two years of ongoing conflict, UK-Med has reached over 25,256 people. individuals across Ukraine.
Given the challenges of accessing traditional healthcare facilities, especially in conflict zones, UK-Med has started running mobile clinics—often described as ‘GPs on wheels’—to provide primary health services essential medical services. These mobile units travel to frontline areas where access to healthcare is severely limited, offering critical support to those in need.
Our country programme employs a dedicated team of 80 humanitarians, predominantly Ukrainian staff, to sustain this life-saving medical work. Many of these medics have faced personal loss, including their homes and jobs, due to the conflict. Driven by a deep commitment to continue to provide medical support to people, they joined UK-Med to respond to the ongoing crisis in their country. Two of these individuals have shared their experiences, reflecting on the impact of their work in communities.
Yulia Rodionova– General Practitioner
Before joining UK-Med, Yulia Rodionova was a research associate at the National Institute of Therapy in Kharkiv. However, with the onset of the war, she was forced to leave Kharkiv and relocate to her parents’ home in Poltava. There, she became a vital part of the UK-Med team, continuing her commitment to healthcare amidst challenging circumstances.
Yulia Siharova – Nurse
Before the conflict, Yulia Siharova worked as a nurse in a private clinic. When the war erupted, the clinic closed, and public institutions were reluctant to hire due to the uncertainty of the situation. It was during this time of uncertainty that she found a position with UK-Med, where she could continue to provide essential care to patients.
What does a typical working day at the mobile clinic look like?
Y.S- “It is a bit different from working in a regular clinic, so to speak. We arrive at the office at 8:00 am for a briefing, where we are informed about safety protocols and the situation at the location we are going to. We gather our supplies and head out.
When we arrive, we are met by the local head or a volunteer from the village council or the venue we are visiting. We set up our mobile clinic. The driver sets up posters, and the social worker speaks with the patients, noting their needs, while the doctor and I start our work. We provide medication to those who regularly come to us. For first-time visitors, we measure blood pressure, blood sugar, and perform ECGs. When laboratory services were available, we also conducted lab diagnostics. Then we return home.”
What challenges do you face working in a conflict zone?
Working in conflict zones is never easy, to travel within them and reach remote communities is especially difficult, putting themselves at risk, our medics do whatever they can to help those that need them.
Y.R- “Closer to the front line, the primary challenge is the danger we face. When we travel to these locations, there is also concern for the patients who come to us, and we strive to provide timely assistance despite the fact that the roads are often in poor condition and the areas are quite remote.”
Galina and Leonid, patients at the UK-Med mobile clinic suffering from high blood pressure and dementia, commented how valuable it is to have doctors, like Yulia, provide care to those living in remote areas:
“UK-Med are doing a great job helping people with their issues; it's a long way to go and the buses are sparse but every two weeks they come, I like how the doctors treat us`` – Galina
Why are the mobile clinics important?
Y.R- “In some regional centres and areas that were under occupation, hospitals have been destroyed, and full medical services are not available” With patients unable to see their regular practitioners, ongoing treatments and medical conditions go untreated. Thanks to the mobile clinics, UK-Med medics are able to reach these communities and provide this essential healthcare.
“Some patients may initially be skeptical and not believe that the medicines will help, but when you explain how to take them and they see the results themselves, they come back and thank you. It is very rewarding.”
Y.S- “They are very happy that we visit them because not everyone has transportation or can reach even the district centre. They gather, chat, and discuss things – it’s like a celebration for them. They trust us because sometimes they come to us with their troubles, anxiety, or insomnia and feel better after talking to us. They trust us and open up about their problems.”
UK-Med has seen the toll this prolonged conflict has had on people’s mental health. One patient, Valentie, opening up about her struggles, describes the stress she experiences daily having been displaced to a remote village when her apartment was destroyed in the conflict and how badly this has impacted her health.
With treatment from UK-Med she still has hope:
``Now I have medicine hopefully I will be less stressed``
What motivates you to do your job?
Y.R- “I chose this profession because I understood the importance of helping others. Now, with the war in our country, I believe it is even more crucial.”
Y.S- “There have been cases where people had alarmingly high blood pressure of 240/120, (which can lead to life-threatening conditions such as a stroke or heart-attack), and even with a limited range of medications, their condition improved with the prescribed therapy. They understand this, come back, and thank us. This motivates me. You realise that you are needed and that risking your life to reach patients in need is worthwhile.”
