Visits and treatment for Vinnytsia displaced persons

The war in Ukraine has forced a reorganization of the various medical facilities and has unfortunately led to a great shortage. Many communities – small or large – can no longer count on clinics and hospitals, or, even if they have them, are unable to meet the new needs. Millions of displaced people have moved within the country , often stopping in cities that are unable to provide medical care to such large numbers of patients. In the Vinnytsia region alone (central Ukraine) there are more than 150 thousand internally displaced persons (data updated to December 2023). These are mostly families made up of different generations: parents, grandparents, children; and not all of them intend to return to their homes once the war is over. This increase in population leads to obvious difficulties in healthcare. Often these families have stopped to live in places far from the cities, or in any case do not have the material possibility to reach larger centers to have a medical visit, or buy medicine. In the most remote areas of the Vinnytsia region even calling an ambulance may not be an easy thing. It is therefore necessary to carry out disease prevention work and, at the same time, create the conditions so that anyone can see a doctor if they need it. With this new project in Ukraine, AMU, together with the local Caritas-Spes, provides the possibility of regular access to medical advice, both in the city and outside. Mobile teams will travel to remote areas of the Vinnytsia region where there are no clinics. There will be a family doctor, a gynecologist, a cardiologist, an ophthalmologist and a psychologist. Early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases are essential for the population. The interventions of AMU and Caritas-Spes do not only respond to immediate health needs, but also lay the foundations for the development of Ukrainian society that looks beyond the emergency phase.