The BGV Charity Fund, together with the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), implemented an internship programme for medical professionals from the Zhytomyr region. Ten rehabilitation specialists, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and psychologists, travelled to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, to begin their training under this programme.

The main goal of the training programme is to provide team rehabilitation training for medical professionals, focusing on the rehabilitation of patients with lower limb amputations. These are the first doctors from the Zhytomyr region to have the opportunity to undergo training with their foreign colleagues in one of the most modern hospitals in Tallinn. The training programme is fully funded by ESTDEV. Medical professionals from the Zhytomyr Regional Medical Centre for Vertebrology and Rehabilitation, as well as the Regional Clinical Hospital named after A.F. Herbachevsky, are participating.

The training will last 10 days and consist of four theoretical modules and practical classes held in the simulation centre of the college and in the rehabilitation departments of the hospital.

‘This rehabilitation programme for Ukrainian specialists is part of Estonia’s systemic assistance to Ukraine, which we have agreed on and for which we are very grateful. Our Estonian partners take Ukrainian soldiers for prosthetics and train our specialists on how to rehabilitate amputees in accordance with European standards. We, for our part, take care of all organisational issues related to the trip and hope that this practice will continue next year,’ said Polina Aldoshina, head of the BGV Charity Fund.

During the training, Ukrainian doctors will learn principles of teamwork, as well as modern rehabilitation methods and procedures. They will expand their knowledge of amputee treatment and learn how to motivate patients to take an active role in rehabilitation. They will also be trained to apply their new knowledge in practice and address the physical and psychological challenges that arise from amputations.

The training programme is fully funded by ESTDEV. The participants are medical professionals from the Zhytomyr Regional Medical Centre for Vertebrology and Rehabilitation and the Regional Clinical Hospital named after A.F. Herbachevsky.

Upon returning to their healthcare facilities, the doctors will share their knowledge with colleagues, contributing to the overall quality and effectiveness of rehabilitation. In total, the Estonian partners plan to train 40 Ukrainian rehabilitation specialists in 2023.