Medical treatment abroad for Ukrainians

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a special medical evacuation program has been established to send Ukrainian patients abroad for highly specialised medical treatment.
The following types of patients are eligible to be referred for treatment abroad:
•           patients with injuries resulting from the war in Ukraine who require highly specialized medical care;
•           patients with severe explosion injuries or burns requiring care;
•           children with neoplasms requiring highly specialized medical care;
•           adult patients with neoplasms requiring highly specialized medical care.
Since the beginning of the conflict, approximately 2,500 Ukrainians, including more than 1,000 children with cancer, have been sent to clinics in Europe: Italy, Poland, Germany, Norway, Latvia, France, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Romania, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Lithuania, Finland, the Czech Republic, Israel, and the United States.
Patients from Ukraine are not charged for their medical care or transportation as these are covered by international organisations and the countries receiving the patients.
There are three ways to request medical care overseas:
1.         Following a consultation with the patient’s primary care physician, the regional medical evacuation coordinator transmits the necessary medical reports to the Ministry of Health.
2.         The patient is referred to a command of the Ukrainian Medical Forces, which sends the Ministry a report regarding the need to refer the patient for treatment and other documents.
3.         Patients who are unable to contact their primary care physician due to the war can submit an online request for evacuation at the following link to the Ministry of Health’s website. After submitting the survey, the applicant will receive feedback.
After reviewing the provided medical information and approving the medical evacuation, the Ministry of Health notifies the patient of the evacuation’s specifics.
After receiving the patient’s approval for medical evacuation, the Ministry of Health sends a request to the European Commission’s emergency response system.
On the Early Warning, Alert, and Response System (EWARS) platform, the Ministry of Health receives proposals from European hospitals regarding their preparedness to receive and treat a patient.
The emergency medical service of the Ministry of Health transports the patient to hospitals in the Lviv region, where he waits between three to four days and two weeks for medical evacuation abroad while his medical records are translated.
Patients from Ukraine are transported abroad for medical treatment.
The patient may return to Ukraine after completing treatment. This must be done by contacting the Consulate or Embassy of Ukraine in the country where the treatment was provided.