The train ride to Kyiv offered a peaceful moment to catch up on work amid the whirlwind of our medical mission. Upon arrival, we met with Ihor, who had visited Australia last year to present at the Global Military Medicine Conference. Now heading Ukraine’s first medical battalion, Ihor’s groundbreaking work is saving countless lives on a frontline unlike any other in modern warfare.
His team faces unique challenges: evacuations are sometimes nearly impossible for days, with rescue teams easily spotted by drones and targeted. Despite these obstacles, they conduct meticulous research on battlefield injuries, developing innovative approaches to address the most common causes of death in this devastating conflict. Their mission is clear – save as many lives as possible on the frontlines they’ll soon deploy to.
After lunch, we visited the Ministry of Health situated in the beautiful Shevchenko Park. The sun shone brilliantly as we chatted with Anton from CMA, gazing at the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) nearby. On our way out, we even spotted the Deputy Minister of Health walking through the park – a surreal moment of normalcy in a nation at war.
A Reunion Filled with Emotion
We caught the metro to a small city hospital to visit my friend Andriy, who was recovering from serious injuries. (You can READ MORE HERE). Seeing him again brought overwhelming emotions – thinner and paler than when I last saw him, yet somehow still wearing that beautiful, positive smile that defines his spirit.
Our time together was brief, as he needed to be taken for a nerve block following his morning surgery. Before parting, Andriy shared how his medical training had literally saved his own life. With remarkable presence of mind, he had applied his knowledge while fading into unconsciousness from severe wounds after his position was targeted by Russian FPV drones. His story was a stark reminder that these aren’t faceless statistics – these are real people being targeted, killed, and wounded daily.
Memorial Flags in Maidan Square
Before heading to catch our ride we had walked through Maidan Square to show Chris, and what I saw there shook me to my core. The memorial flags honouring the fallen had grown almost tenfold since my last visit in July 2023. The sea of blue and yellow stretched further than before, each flag representing a life cut short defending Ukraine’s freedom. As I walked among them, reading the names, my heart sank when I recognised names of Australians and New Zealanders I had heard about—volunteers who had travelled halfway across the world to fight for a cause they believed in.
Perhaps most striking were the photos of women among the fallen—mothers, daughters, sisters who had taken up arms alongside their male counterparts. My Ukrainian colleague followed my gaze and spoke quietly, her voice steady despite the emotion behind her words: “How can we give in now when all these people have died for our freedom?” The question hung in the air, unanswerable yet profound. These weren’t just flags or statistics—they were teachers who would never return to their classrooms, doctors who would never heal another patient, parents whose children would grow up without them. Each represented a family forever changed, and a sacrifice that demanded Ukraine continue its fight for sovereignty and dignity.
The Hidden Mental Health Crisis
Paul from CMA picked us up for a two-hour drive to our village accommodation. During our journey, he shared insights about his various projects, including a rehabilitation centre for amputees that’s progressing well. However, his greatest concern now is the mounting mental health crisis.
The suicide rate is alarming, and they’re actively seeking solutions. He explained their ambitious plans to create fifteen outpatient mental health centers where people can go with their families for support and advice. The first center opens next month in Dnipro, with hopes to complete all fifteen by year’s end. Staffing remains the biggest challenge, with psychologists undergoing retraining to meet the specialized needs.
When I mentioned seeing fewer injured soldiers on the streets compared to my previous visit, Paul offered two explanations: the colder weather keeping people indoors, and the deteriorating mental health causing many to simply stay home. This reality was heartbreaking.
The mental health stigma in Ukraine compounds the problem. Seeking psychological help is often viewed as an admission of a lifelong mental condition rather than a normal response to extraordinary trauma. Despite these challenges, Paul maintained remarkable optimism about Ukraine’s future, citing innovations and progress occurring across many sectors of Ukrainian society.
Our discussion on politics was best encapsulated by his comment: “We have problems with enemies and problems with friends.”
Village Clinics and Human Connections
We arrived at Yuri’s village home, where we stayed with him and his daughter, who served as our translator. Yuri runs mobile clinics in the area and is planning both a rehabilitation centre and permanent clinic. His daughter, currently a paramedic, is studying physiotherapy to contribute to the rehabilitation centre – another example of Ukrainians building for their future despite the ongoing war.
The next day, we delivered medical services at a local church in a neighbouring village. Our makeshift clinic included three GPs (including ourselves), a dentist, an optometrist, and a pharmacy offering free medications.
It was a huge surprise when Dr Diana walked in the door, we hugged and hugged. I was so happy to see her. I knew we were in her area and I had been asking people if they knew if she was coming but no one knew. I had met her on a mobile clinic in 2023 and she invited us to her family home where she was doing ( and still is) amazing work supporting refugees from the East. I had been reluctant to message her saying I was in the area as I knew I wouldn’t have time to visit but was so, so glad we got to see each other at the clinic.
One patient particularly touched my heart – a young woman suffering from stress symptoms for the past year, ever since her husband was sent to the front. As she described days when she couldn’t contact him, her neck flushed and tears welled in her eyes. Her pain was palpable. At the end of our consultation, I hesitantly asked if I could give her a hug, uncertain how she might respond. She quickly agreed and held me tightly for what seemed like an eternity, later telling our translator that our support meant everything to her.
The Power of Connections
After a short walk through the village, we enjoyed another amazing dinner at the church. The locals thanked us profusely for our help – gestures that always feel insufficient against the backdrop of their immense challenges. Diana shared a beautiful story of unexpected connections that demonstrates how small actions can create ripples of positive change.
After meeting at a clinic in July 2023, Diana had invited us to her hometown, where I learned her sister was a seamstress. Nearly a year and a half later, when an Australian hand therapist supporting Ukraine needed someone to teach rehabilitation hospital staff how to sew special garments for splints, I immediately thought of Diana’s sister.
This connection not only solved the hospital’s immediate need but also provided part-time employment for Diana’s sister. Diana laughed as she pointed out the irony: “The connections within Ukraine came all the way from Australia!”
Urgent Needs Remain
Throughout my time in Ukraine, I’ve witnessed the desperate need for basic medical supplies. Our private CMA chat regularly features urgent callouts for bandages and wound dressings for civilians in hospitals facing almost daily missile strikes. Horrifically, these essential items rarely appear in donation packages.
For those wishing to help, please consider donating specifically for medical supplies at www.passingthrough.net/donating and indicate in a note that your contribution is for bandages and dressings. These simple items can make the difference between life and death for innocent civilians caught in this brutal conflict.
This is Part Two of my Medical Mission to Ukraine series. Follow along as I document the resilience, challenges, and hope found amid Ukraine’s ongoing crisis.
