Now, three years after the start of the full-scale invasion, this frontline city lives in a state of stability – between air raid sirens, reconstruction and daily work. At the heart of this story is a hospital. A place where not only bodies are saved, but also faith in life.

It became the centre of a large partnership project between ZDOROVI and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which lasted eleven months and ended in autumn 2025. Its goal was not just to provide assistance, but to systematically upgrade medical care in the frontline region.

The project combined three key areas: providing modern ophthalmological and urological equipment, training doctors, and providing psychological support to medical staff. But behind the dry wording lies the living history of people who, despite the war, continue to save others every day.

When the first equipment arrived at the Okhtyrka hospital in March – a microsurgical ophthalmic system, a surgical microscope, and an autorefractometer – doctors believed that conditions for quality ophthalmic care were now possible here. Previously, many operations – from cataract treatment to urological interventions – had to be performed on outdated equipment or patients had to be referred to other regions. Now, people from across the community can receive care locally.

During the project, the hospital performed over two hundred ophthalmic surgeries and dozens of urological surgeries, and examined more than three thousand patients. The number of referrals to other regional hospitals has decreased by almost 90%. Medical professionals underwent training at specialised courses in Kyiv, Vinnytsia, and Kharkiv, where they studied microsurgery, modern methods of cataract treatment, diagnosis of eye pathologies, and endoscopic interventions. For most of them, this was their first experience of learning about the latest technologies, which they now use in their own operating theatres.

One of the doctors, a young ophthalmologist named Mykola Roshko, says that the upgrade was not just a technical breakthrough, but a professional reboot.

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«The microscope we received is like switching from a black-and-white TV to an HD screen. Everything has become clear, precise, and controllable. We can work faster, safer, and with less risk to the patient», – he says.

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In parallel with upgrading its technical base, the ZDOROVI team introduced psychological support for medical professionals. This was not just ‘burnout therapy’ – it was a systematic programme of group and individual sessions that helped doctors cope with the effects of prolonged stress. More than 190 hospital employees participated in the sessions, and the results speak for themselves: professional burnout decreased by 67%, PTSD symptoms decreased by 60%, and self-regulation skills nearly doubled.

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«When we started, many people were emotionally exhausted, recalls Vitaliy Prygornytskyi, programme director at ZDOROVI. But after just a few meetings, people began to say that they felt different. They started planning again, joking, even finding time to study. This showed that support is a necessity without which medicine cannot survive».

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During monitoring visits, experts noted not only the high-quality use of equipment, but also the overall transformation of the hospital: an improved accounting system, staff accountability, and a noticeable increase in motivation. Staff turnover decreased by 20%, and the number of patients receiving on-site care doubled.

There is still more work ahead. In October, the hospital plans to fully launch an ophthalmic microsurgical system, and doctors are preparing for new professional development programmes. But the main thing that the project leaves behind is confidence.

Okhtyrka remains a city that holds the medical front, and its doctors are a symbol that even in the frontline zone it is possible to create the medicine of the future.

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«When we started, many people asked why we were investing in a hospital so close to the front line. Now we see that it was a decision about life. Because life is the highest form of resilience», – says Natalia Tulinova.

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