Working visit of the Austrian Red Cross delegates to the Chernivtsi region and monitoring the operations of mobile health units

Oksana, a family doctor, has been a member of the Ukrainian Red Cross mobile health unit for one and a half years. She explains that most Bukovyna residents live in mountainous areas inaccessible to ordinary cars or ambulances. After heavy rains, even off-road vehicles can only cover a small part of the terrain. The team then proceeds on foot, carrying backpacks filled with medicines and a mobile cardiograph to reach the remaining planned route. 

The doctor conducts examinations at people’s homes, as most of her patients are elderly and unable to move around independently. Oksana has signed 1500 declarations with patients in total. She tries to visit each patient at least once a month and, if necessary, twice. She and her colleagues often transport people with limited mobility to hospitals, as public services lack appropriate transport. 

People continue to express gratitude to the doctors of mobile health units for their hard work in providing professional medical consultations and medicines under such difficult conditions. The Ukrainian Red Cross remains committed to supporting people through any circumstances. 

The photos were taken during the visit of delegates from the Austrian Red Cross, the main donor of the Mobile Health Units project in the Chernivtsi region, to the Vyzhnytsia community. The purpose of the visit was to observe the conditions under which the units operate and the challenges they face to enhance further material support for the project.