Barrier-free rehabilitation module for Ukrainians affected by war opened in Khotyn

This is the fourth social franchise project supported by Visa and Oschadbank, which aims to make rehabilitation and psychosocial services accessible to veterans and civilians without the need to travel to other cities.

Oschadbank, NGO Bezbariernist, Mindy Foundation, Visa, and the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration opened a new mobile rehabilitation module to help veterans, women veterans, their families, and civilians affected by the full-scale war.

The fully barrier-free (inclusive) module with an area of 72 square meters is equipped with high-quality modern equipment. Specialists will provide patients with comprehensive rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, social integration and psychological support. In particular, this will include gait training on prostheses, prosthetic support, ergotherapy, and speech restoration. There will also be offered legal support, employment, training, retraining and other social services. Thus, the opening of the module in Khotyn brings these services closer to the places of residence of those who need them.

“We continue to expand the network of mobile rehabilitation modules, as we see a great need for affordable and high-quality health rehabilitation services. In 2025, we plan to open modules in new communities in Ukraine. They will become part of a unified system of rehabilitation care that we are developing together with business, the public sector and the state,” said Taras Yermakov, founder of the Mindy Foundation.

“Developing a comprehensive rehabilitation system is a priority area of the Heroes' Policy, which we are implementing together with the government and communities.  The quality and accessibility of physical rehabilitation and social adaptation services for war veterans and their families, as well as the restoration of mental health of defenders, are extremely important. Currently, 22 healthcare institutions in Chernivtsi region provide outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation services. Work is underway to expand rehabilitation capacities in medical institutions. The opening of the rehabilitation module is another step in the development of the rehabilitation system and a good example of partnership between the state, business and the public sector in the implementation of important social projects,” said Oleksandr Yankov, Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration.

“The opening of a new rehabilitation module in our cluster hospital is an extremely important event for the Khotyn community. This is a place where veterans from different parts of Bukovyna and Ukraine will be able to receive real help, a range of quality rehabilitation services in comfortable conditions. I sincerely thank everyone involved for making this project a reality! The military, their treatment and rehabilitation, support - all this has been and remains our No. 1 priority. We want these services to work perfectly in the Khotyn community!” commented Andrii Dranchuk, Mayor of Khotyn.

The space in Khotyn is the fourth within the social franchise implemented by the Mindy Charitable Foundation with the support of Visa and Oschadbank. The franchise aims to create conditions for rehabilitation and provide high-quality psychological assistance to Ukrainians where these services are physically absent, logistically difficult or of insufficient quality.

In general, the project is being implemented in cooperation with the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the NGO Bezbariernist within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?”, an initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska, as well as with members of the Business Without Barriers community - Visa and Oschadbank.

“Today we definitely know the value of partnership, shared meanings and movement in the same direction. The puzzle only becomes a picture when all the pieces of the whole are put together: the idea that was born from the Mindy Foundation... The resources that were provided by Oschadbank, a member of the Business Without Barriers community united around the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska. And also the region and local authorities, which are a bridge to the community and support in filling the walls with life and services. Only in close cooperation and joint work can we take care of those who are fighting for our future today and go through major social transformations together,” noted Olha Horbaniova, expert at the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The social franchise format also involves the work of a multidisciplinary team of specialists, which makes the rehabilitation process as effective as possible. The following specialists will ensure the functioning of the rehabilitation module: a case manager, a psychologist, a doctor of physical and rehabilitation medicine, a physical therapist, a speech therapist and specialists from other fields.

“Rehabilitation of female and male veterans is an important task that requires maximum involvement of all stakeholders. Currently, the number of defenders who have returned from the front is relatively small, but sooner or later we will have a huge number of heroes returning from the war. By developing a network of mobile rehabilitation centers, we are actually conducting a test drive of a solution for rehabilitating Ukraine's defenders in small towns. I have no doubt that such facilities in one form or another should be available in all Ukrainian cities,” said Sergii Naumov, Chairman of the Management Board of Oschadbank.

“The opening of the rehabilitation module in Khotyn is another important step towards creating a society in Ukraine where everyone has access to the necessary assistance regardless of their place of residence. Now the residents of this region have the opportunity to get resources for physical and psychological recovery and return to a full life close to home. We are proud that together with our partners we have been supporting the project for more than a year now, which builds an inclusive environment for veterans and war victims,” commented Tetiana Chorna, Vice President, Regional Manager of Visa Ukraine.

The social franchise contains a full package of necessary documents and algorithms for interaction between the main participants: the community, the state and donors. This simplifies the integration of the module into the local healthcare system, NHSU packaging, and other state and local services. This approach significantly strengthens the system of secondary long-term rehabilitation after the main period of treatment in an outpatient format.

The first rehabilitation module of the social franchise with the support of Visa and Oschadbank was opened in Ovruch, Zhytomyr region, in January 2024. The second one was opened in Vasylkiv, Kyiv region, in October, and the third one in Kropyvnytskyi in October of the same year. It was based on feedback from Ovruch specialists and patients that the medical and social spaces in Vasylkiv and Kropyvnytskyi were improved.