Themes by tag: doctors

David Plaster is a former US military medic. After retiring from service, he traveled to more than 100 countries. In 2012, he decided to settle in Ukraine. In 2014, during the Revolution of Dignity, David treated the wounded on the Maidan.

Following the outbreak of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), David trained Ukrainian service members in tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) and prepared instructors to pass on these crucial skills. Back then, a language barrier hindered David’s work, as he had to communicate through gestures with those who did not speak English. Today, the veteran is already fluent in Ukrainian.

Additionally, in 2014, he founded the “Anomaly” non-governmental organization, which provides humanitarian aid, conducts training sessions in both tactical medicine and English, and supports veterans and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Each month, the NGO’s team trains between 400 and 800 people in tactical medicine.

Interviews and conversations with David Plaster can be arranged both online and in-person in Kyiv, subject to prior agreement.

• doctors
• military
• Kyiv

On February 24, 2022, Olha Shtern found herself without identification documents. A day before russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she had submitted her passport to change her surname following a divorce. At the time, she was living and working in Mykolaiv, a southern Ukrainian city.

After the invasion began, volunteers helped Olha and her child evacuate abroad.

A host family on Portugal’s Azores Islands took them in. But neither the islands’ natural beauty, nor the support of those who had helped her, nor her volunteer activities there could persuade Olha to remain outside Ukraine. With war continuing at home, she felt she was not doing enough.

She soon returned to Ukraine. In Odesa, Olha enlisted and became a combat medic in a combat unit, where she continues to serve.

She has served in some of the war’s fiercest battle zones, including Bakhmut, Soledar and Blahodatne. She recalls how, during another shelling attack, the blast wave threw her back, and her only concern was that she had lost her radio. Although she has suffered four concussions during her service, only one has been officially documented.

Olha has also faced sexism within the military. She says she managed to overcome that difficult period thanks to the support of her fellow service members.

From time to time, she considers returning to civilian life. But she dismisses those thoughts after saving another wounded person.

Her son is waiting for her at home and is being cared for by his godmother.

Journalists interested in speaking with Olha Shtern may arrange interviews either online or in person in Kharkiv region by prior appointment.

• doctors
• military
• women
• Kharkiv

UNBROKEN University was created to develop knowledge and solutions shaped by practical experience, international dialogue, and real-world expertise.

The institution includes the School of Municipal Governance and the School of Medicine. Specialists can deepen their practical knowledge and skills in infection control, rehabilitation, surgery, anesthesiology, psychological support, and other areas of healthcare. Alongside postgraduate education and simulation-based training, the university is actively developing scientific research, interdisciplinary cooperation, and innovative approaches to treatment and patient recovery. Training sessions in emergency care, critical care, and resuscitation are also held there.

On May 14, a new educational space at the university will be presented in Lviv. The purchase of the building was made possible thanks to support from Direct Relief, the largest donor to Ukrainian medical institutions.

As part of the event, visitors will be able to join a practical basic life support training session. Participants will learn how to respond correctly in critical situations, including cardiac arrest, loss of consciousness, and breathing difficulties.

Journalists are required to register in advance for the event.

Background: Direct Relief is an international humanitarian non-profit organization founded in California in 1948. Its mission is to help people affected by poverty, wars, and emergencies by supplying hospitals and patients with essential medicines and medical equipment.

Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organization has delivered more than 3,000 tons of medical aid to Ukrainian hospitals and has supported the development of rehabilitation, prosthetics, mental health services, and energy resilience for medical facilities.

Representatives of Direct Relief will also attend the official opening. Among them will be the organization’s new CEO, Amy Weaver, who will visit Ukraine for the first time to learn more about the work of UNBROKEN University.

• doctors
• Lviv

Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics (MCOP) has provided high-tech prosthetics and rehabilitation services for people with amputations of varying severity for more than 20 years. For 17 years, the center served as an official partner of the U.S. Department of Defense in providing prosthetic care for military personnel involved in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Since March 2025, MCOP has been operating in Kyiv. Thanks to advanced prosthetics and rehabilitation programs provided by the center, more than 100 Ukrainian veterans have already been able to return to civilian life, resume hobbies, find employment, and start families.

The center provides free prosthetic programs under Ukrainian government resolutions No. 321 and No. 518, as well as within the framework of the $11.6 million grant project “Iceland Supports Mobility in Ukraine” and a joint project with Razom for Ukraine focused on bionic upper-limb prosthetics.

Media representatives are invited to visit MCOP Ukraine in Kyiv, where they will have an opportunity to speak with the founders and staff of the center, as well as veterans undergoing prosthetic treatment. Visits and interviews are arranged individually with the center’s press office.

• casualties
• doctors
• Kyiv

FRIDA Ukraine runs first aid training sessions for civilians with no medical background. The sessions are designed for people who want to be prepared to act in critical situations and provide lifesaving assistance before professional medics arrive.

Since launching the initiative, the organization has already held more than 100 training sessions. As part of the specialized Stop the Bleed course, participants learn how to:

• stop life-threatening bleeding;
• act effectively under stress and time pressure;
• provide assistance in trauma situations;
• respond to road accidents and other emergencies.

The trainings take place in multiple formats — from sessions at FRIDA’s office to field-based and simulation exercises using realistic scenarios. The main focus is on practical skills that help people make quick decisions and potentially save lives.

By prior arrangement, journalists can attend and cover FRIDA Ukraine’s civilian first aid trainings in Kyiv. The organization can also conduct first aid training sessions for international media teams.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Kyiv

On May 2, FRIDA Ukraine will host a charity event in Kyiv focused on the early detection of skin cancer, as part of Melanoma Awareness Month.

Dermatologists will offer free skin examinations to all attendees. The aim of the event is the early detection of skin cancer, raising public awareness about melanoma, and promoting regular medical check-ups.

Journalists are also welcome to attend the event, speak with dermatologists, and, where possible, with people attending the screening. 

Background: FRIDA Ukraine medical volunteer missions are regular deployments of multidisciplinary medical teams to frontline and remote communities across Ukraine. Each mission includes more than 20 specialists, such as neurologists, surgeons, gynecologists, therapists, dermatologists, and others. During these visits, residents receive free consultations, examinations, and tests. Recently, the team has also begun conducting cancer screenings.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Max Dorman, a German national, worked as a paramedic in Hamburg. When russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he and his friends began helping Ukrainian refugees in Germany. Later, he started traveling to Lviv as a volunteer.

Over time, Max became one of the co-founders of Artesans ResQ Ukraine, an organization focused on evacuating the wounded. Its medics have helped more than 3,000 Ukrainians — both military personnel and civilians.

Today, the Artesans ResQ Ukraine team is based in Dnipro and includes both Ukrainians and international members. Each month, the organization carries out around 150 evacuation missions. Its medics operate ambulance-based intensive care units across Ukraine and abroad.

By prior arrangement, journalists can speak with Max Dorman and the Artesans ResQ Ukraine team both online and in person in Dnipro.

• doctors
• volunteers
• Dnipro
• evacuation

On April 19, an international surgical mission, Reconstruction Mission, will begin in Cherkasy, initiated by the Vision for Ukraine foundation. During the mission, a team of world-class microsurgeons will work alongside Ukrainian doctors to perform highly complex reconstructive surgeries for military patients.

According to the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, after the end of the war the number of veterans could reach 5–6 million. Tens of thousands of them will require complex recovery after injuries. Vision for Ukraine says that surgical missions help strengthen medical teams and set a new standard of medical care.

Media can meet doctors both online and in person in Cherkasy by prior arrangement.

Background: Since 2023, more than 1,000 patients (adults and children) have been treated within the mission. By number of patients, it is the largest international surgical mission in Ukraine.

• doctors
• Cherkasy

On April 16, the seventh mission of Taiwanese doctors to Ukraine will begin. A team from Mackay Memorial Hospital — one of Taiwan’s largest hospitals — will work in the Zhytomyr region. With the support of the Vision for Ukraine Charitable Foundation, the doctors will provide free medical and dental care to Ukrainian service members and their families.

Since 2023, the team has provided assistance to more than 2,000 patients across nine regions of Ukraine. The doctors also train Ukrainian colleagues and students while building long-term cooperation with medical institutions.

Media can arrange interviews with the medical team both online and offline in the Zhytomyr region upon prior request.

• doctors
• Zhytomyr

On April 17, volunteer doctors from FRIDA Ukraine will travel to an orphanage in the Kyiv region. The team includes around 20 medical professionals, including a pediatrician, neurologist, psychologist, dentist, and surgeon. The doctors regularly visit the facility and provide medical care to children.

On April 18–19, FRIDA Ukraine missions will travel to the Mykolaiv and Sumy regions to provide medical assistance to civilians.

By prior arrangement, journalists can cover the work of the medical teams and conduct interviews with both patients and doctors.

Background: FRIDA Ukraine medical volunteer missions are regular deployments of multidisciplinary medical teams to frontline and remote communities across Ukraine. Each mission includes more than 20 specialists, such as neurologists, surgeons, gynecologists, therapists, dermatologists, and others. During these visits, residents receive free consultations, examinations, and tests. Recently, the team has also begun conducting cancer screenings.

• doctors
• volunteers