Bringing hope to communities: WHO installs new module clinic for primary health care in Kharkiv region in Ukraine

Kharkiv, Ukraine, 15 July 2023 

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In an effort to address the destruction caused by the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation and ensure access to essential healthcare services, WHO has partnered with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to identify a sustainable rapid solution to bridge the gap in the medical services in affected territories and ensure an adequate emergency health response. This project aims to support communities and ensure the provision of healthcare services in remote areas affected by war, where primary health facilities have been damaged.

Today, as part of this larger initiative, a new modular primary health care clinic has been installed in Izyum, Kharkiv region, replacing the previously destroyed primary health facility. 

This newly installed structure will serve as an outpatient health facility, providing primary healthcare services to a population of over 10,000 people. The clinic will be staffed by medical professionals who were previously working at the damaged facility, ensuring continuity of care. It will have three rooms for receiving patients and a vaccination room, where approximately 12 healthcare workers, including 3 doctors and 9 nurses, will be able to work simultaneously.

The temporary clinic comprises six prefabricated modules combined to form a fully functional health facility. It is equipped with essential amenities, including electricity, sanitary engineering, sewage, waiting and patient examination rooms. Additionally, the clinic is supplied with a generator and air fans to ensure a conducive environment for healthcare delivery. 

“This initiative brings both hope and practical solutions to communities residing in the most affected areas where primary health facilities were damaged. We prioritize the availability of essential health services, and in collaboration with our partners, we are working hard to make it possible. We will be bringing more modules and support the maintenance of outpatient clinics in Ukraine,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine. 

Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko said, “Our priority is to ensure the provision of high-quality, affordable, and free medical care for our citizens. The areas closest to the epicenter of hostilities, which are subject to destruction by the aggressor, require special attention. The establishment of a new modular primary medical care clinic in Izyum, Kharkiv region, is a significant step towards meeting the medical service needs of local residents. We greatly appreciate the cooperation with WHO and other partners. Together, we are developing and implementing necessary solutions to improve the well-being of our communities.”

Access to primary healthcare and essential services is at the core of the emergency response objectives, along with ensuring access and availability of services. Currently, more than 1,000 attacks on healthcare have been verified by WHO, and attacks continue to occur.

Primary healthcare centers are amongst those facilities that have been partially or fully damaged. Out from 40 primary health facilities assessed by WHO on the request of MoH, 15 were damaged in 7 regions identified by MOH for the project, including Kherson, Zaporizzhya, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kyiv, and Odesa regions.

Denise Brown, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine said: “The war has had devastating consequences on the health sector, obstructing access to health services in front-line communities, including Izium. The modular health clinic being opened today is a first step in restoring some of the essential services that are indispensable for recovering and rebuilding lives.

“The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund has made an important contribution to jumpstart this effort. Since the start of the war, the UHF has allocated over USD 35 million to rebuild health facilities and to restore basic services. Investments such as these into health systems feed into the UN’s larger effort to enable community-driven recovery.”

To ensure continuity of services and infrastructural availability, and to restore functionality to maintain access to essential health services, WHO will install prefabricated modular structures where primary health services have been damaged or are no longer suitable from an infrastructural point of view. These prefabricated modules offer a temporary solution to ensure the full operational capacity of the pre-existing or currently damaged facilities. The modules can function as healthcare facilities for over 10 years.

As part of the first stage of the project, Kharkiv region marks the second installation, and seven more modules will be distributed soon, as indicated by the Ministry of Health's priority list for the most affected regions.

The OCHA’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF) is providing the necessary financial support for this project. 

ENDS

For further information:

Tetiana Dolhava, dolhovat@who.int 

WHO/Europe Press Office, eupress@who.int 

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