In a War Without Rules, Ukrainian Military Medics Fight On
100 Ukrainian military medics visited Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where they were welcomed by colleagues for an exchange of experiences and a brief respite from their daily reality on the frontlines of war. They are here to recover with the help of the Ukrainian volunteer organization Repower, in collaboration with the hospital and under the leadership of researchers from the Center for Disaster Medicine.
The day at Sahlgrenska University Hospital is part of a ten-day stay in western Sweden for the Ukrainian group. The visit is organized by the Ukrainian volunteer organization Repower, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has selected the men and women participating in the program.
– Most of them come directly from the frontlines. Medical personnel in Ukraine face an extremely difficult situation, and for those stationed at the front, this is a chance to take a break from their normal reality of constant life-threatening danger. At the same time, it serves as a bilateral knowledge exchange between the healthcare sectors in Ukraine and Sweden, says Jonas Zimmerman, a specialist physician who has visited Ukraine multiple times since the war began. He is one of the organizers of the event at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and is affiliated with the Center for Disaster Medicine, where he conducts research to gain insights from the war in Ukraine.
Read the full article in Sahlgrenska Liv: A Break from the Frontlines – 100 Ukrainian Military Medics Visit the Hospital
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In our photo above: Jonas Zimmerman and Kateryna Serdiuk, founder of Repower (), along with the blue fabric bags filled with medical supplies that each Ukrainian received at the end of the day.
Upcoming Interviews
The Center for Disaster Medicine (CKM) is planning a more in-depth interview with Jonas Zimmerman and Joakim Björås, Head of Education at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, who is also affiliated with CKM. However, this interview will be conducted and published after the ten-day stay with the Ukrainian group has concluded. It will be available on our website.
There will also be an interview with the three psychologists from Ukraine who are accompanying the group to help the Ukrainian medics process their experiences, regain strength, and "repower" themselves so they can return to the frontlines and continue their lifesaving work, often risking their own lives. (Photo below)
Text: Susanne Lj Westergren