Over three years, Russians have killed nearly 60 emergency medical workers

Since the beginning of 2022, Russian forces have killed 58 emergency medical and disaster medicine workers in Ukraine and wounded at least 122 specialists, as reported by the Ministry of Health.

An ambulance, shelled by Russian forces in the Kharkiv Oblast, stands in London to draw attention to Russian attacks on medical professionals. Photo: United24

Officials shared the casualty figures on Emergency Medical Services Day.

Currently, Ukraine has a total of over 2,300 ambulance brigades, employing nearly 33,000 people. Over the past three years, these brigades have responded to nearly 20 million calls, averaging 16,000 daily.

During this period, Russian forces have damaged and destroyed over 600 medical vehicles. For nine consecutive months, the Russian army has shelled medical facilities almost daily. Additionally, medical workers have fallen victim to so-called “double tap” strikes by the Russians. More details on this can be found via the provided link.

The large-scale war has significantly impacted Ukraine’s medical system; however, citizens still largely rely on it. Analysts at “Vox Ukraine” note that 48.3% of households reported visiting state medical facilities in the past year.

Numerous countries support Ukrainian medical professionals during the war with equipment and funding, including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Norway, and North Macedonia.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 5,500 patients from Ukraine have been transported abroad for treatment. At the same time, due to the war, at least 3,000 people have died because they lacked access to medical care.

Cover photo: WHO