October 2, 2025
News
A delegation of doctors and local authority representatives from the Dnipro region visited leading clinics in rehabilitation medicine in the Czech Republic. During their study trip to Prague, medical professionals from Ukraine's frontline region learned advanced techniques and developments that help people recover from severe injuries and illnesses, enabling them to return to everyday life. The visit is part of a Caritas Czech Republic project funded by the Czech Development Agency, CzechAid.
Dnipro region – a medical aid outpost in the east of Ukraine
From 15 to 19 September, doctors from six medical institutions, together with representatives from the health departments of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Novotroitske, visited rehabilitation institutions of the Czech Republic's health and social security system.
Due to its proximity to the front line and constant rocket and drone attacks, the Dnipro region has long served as an outpost for rescuing injured civilians and military personnel. However, rehabilitation medicine in wartime requires comprehensive changes.
“The war caused a significant negative impact on the socio-economic situation in our country. Such diseases as stroke have become more common among younger people, and the number of stroke patients is rapidly increasing. Today, 48 hospitals in our region offer rehabilitation services, with 33 providing inpatient care. We are very grateful for the opportunity to learn new rehabilitation methods and programmes, as we lack knowledge and practical skills," said Svitlana Rostochylo, a representative of the Dnipro Regional Military Administration's Department of Health. She added that together with her colleagues, she plans to implement the Czech experience in local medical institutions.
Caritas Czech Republic builds skills and capacity in rehabilitation centres
From 2024, Caritas Czech Republic has been developing rehabilitation services in the frontline Dnipro region. Our team is modernising and equipping the physiotherapy and rehabilitation units of six hospitals with the necessary equipment and providing staff training. We are supporting hospitals No. 6 and No. 16, as well as the Dnipropetrovsk Regional War Veterans Hospital in Dnipro, hospitals No. 7 and No. 16 in Kryvyi Rih, and the Solonyi Lyman Regional Rehabilitation Centre in the village of Novotroitske.
“We realised that in addition to renovating and equipping hospitals, it was necessary to develop the capacity of medical staff systematically. As part of our project, more than 130 medical professionals have undergone training in reproductive health, and more than 50 doctors are completing a six-month programme in physiotherapy and rehabilitation. We also provided mentoring support for hospitals by specialists from Dnipro State Medical University and organised a study trip for doctors and officials to the Czech Republic," shared Larysa Sydorenko, project manager at Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine.
Thanks to the study visit, medical professionals and government officials became a team
During their visit to Prague, Ukrainian doctors acquired theoretical knowledge and became acquainted with the operation of various types of rehabilitation facilities within the health and social care system in the Czech Republic, as well as with the main principles of patient treatment in the field of rehabilitation.
The programme included neurorehabilitation after brain and spinal injuries, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological and social rehabilitation, and modern robotic and device-assisted rehabilitation methods. Participants were also introduced to specialised programmes for patients with spinal cord injuries, spasticity, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological conditions.
Participants visited seven different establishments and institutions:
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, which is an accredited unit of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and the only Training Centre for Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine with the accreditation of the European Community of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Specialists (PRM UEMS).
- The ERGO Aktiv Neuro-Rehabilitation Centre for people with acquired brain injuries helps young people return to their normal lives, work, and autonomy.
- The Paraple Centre, which has been helping people with paralysis after spinal cord injury and their families to live a full and quality life for over 30 years.
- The Kladruby Rehabilitation Institute, which provides robotic rehabilitation.
- Beroun Rehabilitation Hospital - provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system.
- The Spinal Department at the Clinic of Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and Motol University Hospital.
- The Medical Simulation Centre of the First Faculty of Medicine at Charles University. It is one of the best-equipped centres of its kind in the Czech Republic.
"I am sincerely grateful! I am impressed by the systematic approach to the treatment of extremely severe conditions, from haemorrhagic and ischaemic strokes to spinal cord injuries and disease-induced developmental disorders. This experience will inspire me to move forward in my work in Ukraine, which is in dire need of high-quality rehabilitation treatment for civilians and military personnel," said Oleksii Grygoruk, acting head of the rehabilitation department at the Dnipro Regional Veterans Hospital.
During the study visit, Ukrainian doctors not only observed modern rehabilitation equipment and facilities but also discussed with their Czech colleagues the differences in medical services in Ukraine and the Czech Republic, as well as potential areas for further cooperation.
"We very much appreciate Caritas Czech Republic for their assistance in training our doctors. We hope to strengthen and deepen cooperation with Czech medical institutions to exchange experience, as Ukrainian specialists have much to share with their Czech colleagues. In particular, the experience gained during three years of war in treating various forms of injuries and complications. In my opinion, this kind of cooperation will be really valuable for our countries," noted Kostiantyn Belikov, Deputy Mayor of Kryvyi Rih.
According to the participants, thanks to the intensive programme, they've become a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team and they are ready to implement crucial innovations.
"I want to express my gratitude for this incredible experience. My colleagues and I are delighted! I really hope that we will implement this new experience and train the rest of our colleagues. Thank you very much!” said Anastasiia Haltseva, a physical therapist at Kryvyi Rih City Hospital No. 7.
The study visit of the Dnipro region delegation is part of the Caritas Czech Republic project on improving the quality and accessibility of rehabilitation and reproductive medicine in this region. It is being implemented with the support of the Czech Development Agency - CzechAid and in cooperation with the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Prague.
Caritas Czech Republic in Ukraine
Caritas Czech Republic has been helping Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
In western Ukraine, we are improving living conditions in dormitories and supporting internally displaced people who have decided to stand on their own feet after evacuating from the war zone. Through mini-grants, we assist the restoration of livelihoods for people in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and the Transcarpathian region.
In eastern Ukraine, we improve the accessibility and quality of rehabilitation and reproductive medicine by modernising hospitals and educating staff. In addition, our team is providing schools with needed equipment, and funding psychological consultations and additional classes to help children catch up on their educational gaps.
In southern Ukraine, we are restoring the water supply in affected areas and setting up mobile medical centres.
Since 2025, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, we have been involved in setting up a network of Mental Health Centres in 4 regions: Dnipro, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Transcarpathia.
