MILAN – Thanks to the financing granted by Lombardy region and to the support of Assolombarda, the training program for Ukrainian medical personnel in Italy implemented by the Soleterre Foundation begins. The initiative, led by Cesvi, is part of the ‘Ukraine Emergency’ project approved by the Regional Council through a allocation of 500,000 euros.
Specifically, Soleterre undertakes to provide support to the medical staff ofSt. Nicholas Hospital in Lviv who has been working for over a year and a half on the front line in responding to the consequences of the ongoing conflict, to the patients being treated at the same hospital and to the displaced people hosted in the shelter redeveloped by Soleterre in Neslukhiv. Soleterre has equipped the St. Nicholas hospital with five new figures specialized in helping pediatric patients also with conflict-related traumaaccompanying them on their therapeutic journey, and who will arrive in Italy to complete their training in two hospitals in Pavia, the IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo and the ICS Maugeri.
Until November 25, the delegation of Ukrainian doctors composed of Pavlovska Olha (Anaesthetist and pediatric neurologist), Olha Shevchenko (Psychologist), Viityk Lesia (Nurse of the rehabilitation department) Khuda Serhii (Physiotherapist) and Oksana Baran (Therapist) will complete their training thanks to the structured activities in the two hospitals along three lines: psycho-physical rehabilitation activities, training exchanges between Ukrainian and Italian specialists and the supply of equipment and medicines for the Lviv rehabilitation centre.
“From the beginning of the conflict – explains the president of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana – we have done everything in our power to offer support to the population both in the war zones and hosting and caring for especially women and children in Lombardy. We also intervened to help around a hundred children with cancer patients whom we treated in various facilities in Lombardy. An ‘all-out’ mobilization that went from San Matteo in Pavia, to the Cancer Institute of Milan, to the Spedali Civili of Brescia, toVarese hospital. And again at the Policlinico of Milan, at Niguarda, at Pope John XXIII in Bergamo, at the Irccs San Gerardo in Monza and atGallarate Hospital. An action made possible also thanks to the enormous commitment of ‘Sole e Terre Onlus’ and the flights made available by private donors and the national Department of Civil Protection. Here, this collaboration has never stopped but continues with a new and concrete form of training for Ukrainian medical staff.”
“The opening of a Center that can remain over time, even when the war is over tomorrow – adds Damiano Rizzi, developmental psychotherapist and president of Soleterre – arises from the need to help children and young people with amputations, major lacerations, neuro-motor disabilities who require continuous assistance over time. Soleterre will not leave them alone, will be at their side for the next few years to try to alleviate the physical and psychological trauma that the war has caused for an entire generation. Thanks to funding from the Lombardy Region for the training of Ukrainian medical staff and for the supply of medical equipment, we hope that the accommodation capacity will accommodate double today’s pediatric patients”.
