Credit: Ukrainian Red Cross Society
The Luxembourg Red Cross has announced the reopening of a rehabilitation centre, which it co-financed, in Ukraine.
Last week, the previously damaged rehabilitation centre in Lyutizh (30 km north of Kyiv), officially reopened its doors. The Luxembourg Red Cross noted that this was made possible in part through donations and financial support from the Luxembourg state.
This rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities suffered damage at the start of the armed conflict in 2022. The Luxembourg Red Cross, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and the Belgian Red Cross contributed €500,000 to renovation works carried out over a period of ten months, including repairs to the roof, walls, windows, swimming pool, ventilation, kitchen and bomb shelter.
The Luxembourg Red Cross added that, since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has provided medical equipment to 33 hospitals and supported the rehabilitation of 22 other health establishments, including the rehabilitation centre in Lyutizh. The latter officially reopened its doors on 19 September 2023.
Ruslan Gritchenko, director of the centre, expressed his delight at the resumption of activities: "The new life of our institution begins now. Thanks to the support of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and the Luxembourg Red Cross, we have started helping children and adults with disabilities again."
The newly reopened establishment, with a capacity of 136 people, has already taken in 24 adult and seven child patients who are receiving orthopedic, psychotherapeutic, psychological, physio-therapeutic and paediatric care.
Other hospital establishments supported by the Luxembourg Red Cross include the Irpin branch of the Heart Institute, the Irpin Central Hospital and a children's hospital in Boyarka (all located around 30 km from Kyiv).
Maksym Dotsenko, Director General of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, highlighted that "the restoration of damaged rehabilitation centres and medical facilities is one of the priorities of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society today. Due to the conflict, the number of people in need of professional and quality rehabilitation is increasing every day."
The involvement of the Red Cross is set to continue in the coming months and years. The Luxembourg Red Cross noted that another children's clinic is currently under construction and new X-ray machines are being installed in other establishments.
For Myriam Jacoby, Ukraine project manager for the Luxembourg Red Cross, these projects are the fruition of joint work: "In the work we do with our Ukrainian colleagues, our goal is to enable the sick and injured to seek treatment again in the best possible conditions and to regain a better quality of life and dignity. Today, we are helping people with disabilities to recover. Tomorrow there will be other victims. Our work has only just begun."
People wishing to support the actions of the Luxembourg Red Cross in Ukraine can do so online (https://donate.croix-rouge.lu/conflitenUkraine/~mon-don) or via bank transfer (IBAN LU52 1111 0000 1111 0000; reference: Ukraine).
