Russia has invaded Ukraine. Weeks of living with uncertainty have ended and the reality of war begun.
For our colleagues working in palliative care, and my friends in paediatric palliative care, all of whom have worked so hard to develop the field in Ukraine, it means working under pressure to learn the skills of medical interventions in humanitarian crises;
What to do with children dependent on mechanical devices when power is no longer available, and setting up bomb shelters in basements.
Skills not included in our usual training.
And alongside this, taking the brave decision not to leave for safer countries, but to remain alongside the children they care for with so much compassion, dedication and skill.
I have visited so many wonderful PPC projects and met many beautiful children and visionary leaders, including the original PPC programme in Ivano-Frankivsk that was set up by the truly lovely and much-loved “Mother “ of palliative care in Ukraine Dr Lyudmilla Ivanovna.
The many different programmes that have developed in beautiful Kyiv and surrounding areas where I have taught and the first accredited centre in Kharkiv, the Hippocrat Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care.
Recently in Kharkiv the International Medical University of Kharkiv opened Ukraine’s first Department of Palliative Medicine where I was invited to be an honourary consultant.
All three are cities amongst those being targeted by the Russian war machine and where local people are fighting for their right to freedom.
So children and staff of the Hippocrat Centre have relocated to the basement bomb shelter and their dedicated,compassionate, gentle Director, Dr Roman Marabyan has left to take up arms and fight to protect his country.
So what can we do to support our colleagues so bravely and compassionately continuing to provide the best palliative care they can despite these circumstances?
Today their request is that we keep telling their stories and sharing the information about the war in Ukraine.
That is so easy for us to do- the challenge is not to stop sharing.
We can also collect funds for the future to help them rebuild and strengthen their programmes and we will share more information on that soon.
We can continue to collaborate with humanitarian and UN organisations. We can communicate our support and willingness to help so that they feel free to ask for what they need, and we can commit to helping with teaching and consultations through telemedicine.
This is a steep learning experience for those outside of Ukraine and for our friends, colleagues and the people of Ukraine this is heartbreaking trauma and ongoing danger.
We don’t know what the future holds for the people of Ukraine, however we have the people, the skills and the humanity to be there for them
In palliative care –there is never “nothing we can do”. There is always “something we can do.”
In Africa we say “Every child is my child” – the children of Ukraine should not be cared for in bomb shelters nor die early because of lack of essential resources. They are our children too.
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Joan Marston RN Honourary Consultant to the Department of Palliative Medicine, International Medical University of Kharkiv.
Executive Committee member of PallCHASE – Palliative Care in Humanitarian Aid Situations and Emergencies
For more information about PallCHASE go to:
https://www.ed.ac.uk/global-health/programmes-and-activities/pallchase
https://twstalker.com/PallChase#
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Photo captions: Dr Roman and children; Hippocratic children
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