Impact of Ukrainian- Russian War on Health Care and Humanitarian Crisis

Abstract

Authors explore the influence of Russian aggression on Ukrainian healthcare and humanitarian crises. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine faced an unprovoked brutal Russian invasion resulting in multiple negative consequences. During the three months of full-scale war, Russians damaged more than 600 hospitals and killed at least 12 medics. Access to health care is severely impacted due to security concerns, restricted mobility, broken supply chains, and mass population displacement. Health care continues to come under attack (including attacks against health facilities, transport, personnel, patients, supplies, and warehouses), with a total of 295 attacks on health care, resulting in 59 injuries and 76 deaths, reported between 24 February and 15 June. Ministry of Health reported that 1658 medical workers had been forced to change their residence and employed in other regions of the country. Russian aggression negatively influenced not only the medical system and economics, but it led humanitarian crisis in the whole of Ukraine.

Sociopathic narcissistic leadership: How about their victims?

“…As such, data should be collected, analyzed, shared, and utilized in partnership with other nations, and during collaborative actions, some countries, especially repressive nations, might find it an intrusion into their national and security interests and difficult to do, especially if there is an existing conflict between countries (Burkle, 2020; Rosenberg & Shvetsova, 2016). Therefore, the lack of information for proper preparedness will create difficulties in several areas, such as decontamination capacity, logistics, and provision of special units and devices, such as prehospital intensive care units, ventilators, dialysis units, and so on, all of which afflict and victimize the third party, that is, people, nationally and internationally (Dzhus & Golovach, 2023; Kaur & Singh, 2019; Norisue et al, 2021; Smith et al, 2020).…”

A Comparison of Ukrainian Hospital Services and Functions Before and During the Russia-Ukraine War

“…10 According to the Ministry of Health, Ukraine, from February 2022 to August 2023, medical facilities were damaged and ruined, including health care assets such as hospital transport, personnel, patients, supplies, and warehouses. 10 As of December 2023, hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities had been attacked and damaged an estimated 661 times with additional assaults on other health facilities such as pharmacies, blood centers, dental clinics, and research institutions. 11,12 In addition to direct attacks on hospitals, access to medical services has been indirectly affected by security concerns, restricted mobility, broken supply chains, shortages of diagnosis kits and medicine, mass population displacement, and power outages.…”

“…Even before the invasion, the hospital system in Ukraine was already struggling with a shortage of health professionals, inadequate funding, and outdated infrastructure resulting in strains on the provisioning of essential services . Since the full-scale Russian invasion in February of 2022, these issues have been exacerbated as Ukrainian hospitals grapple with an unprecedented influx of patients (including millions of injured and displaced peoples), the loss of health professionals, shortages of medical supplies, and the destruction of infrastructure, including hospital facilities . According to the Ministry of Health, Ukraine, from February 2022 to August 2023, medical facilities were damaged and ruined, including health care assets such as hospital transport, personnel, patients, supplies, and warehouses .…”

Disaster Medicine Education for Israeli Medical Response Teams to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

“…1 On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, which resulted in a humanitarian crisis where over four million of its citizens, mostly women and children, fled and thus became refugees. 2,3 Poland, Moldova, and Hungary provided most of the immediate support to more than seven million refugees. 4 Medical care was provided by both governmental and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).…”