[Ukraine]Peace Winds runs mobile clinic to provide medical support for women in war-torn areas of Ukraine
Some cities and villages in Chernihiv Oblast in northern Ukraine were temporarily occupied by the Russian Forces shortly after Russia’s full invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, and many women suffered psychologically and physically from gender-based violence. In order to provide support for these victims, Peace Winds, in cooperation with the Nizhyn Maternity Hospital, dispatches medical teams consisting of gynecologist, nurse, examination technician, psychiatrist, social worker and others to remote villages.
The Nizhyn Maternity Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in the region that meets all sorts of needs of women including gynecology, obstetrics and so on.
We have procured a special vehicle for this project, equipped with ultrasound examination machine and other medical devices. In February, we started the operation of this mobile clinic.
We dispatch the mobile team to cities and villages in various locations in the oblast and provide opportunities for women to receive examination for ovarian cancer, comprehensive counselling, checkups for pregnant women, and so one. A total of 892 women visited the mobile clinic by the end of March. Doctors detected some health issues with 78 women and 70 received surgery in hospitals after receiving further medical examinations. Under extraordinary living conditions in the war, women tend to prioritize other members of the family and care less for themselves. It was found out by our questionnaire that more than half of the women who visited our mobile clinic answered that they had not visited a gynecologist for more than a year.
This project has been supported by your contribution and the funding from Japan Platform. More and more women suffer psychologically and physically as the war is prolonged. Peace Winds continues our effort to help ease the pain of these women in Ukraine. We appreciate your continuous support. Thank you so much.