Ukraine is ready to implement the latest methods of treatment in the field of mental health, – Mykhailo Radutskyi
29 May 2024, 15:30
This was discussed today at the conference “The latest treatments in mental health and sustainability of health systems” in Prague. The Ukrainian delegation, in addition to me, included MP Dmytro Hurin and co-founder of the Centre for Psychological Health and Rehabilitation of Veterans ‘Lisova Poliana’ Maryna Hridii. The Czech side was represented at the highest level: Prime Minister Petr Fiala, First Lady Eva Pavlova, and Roman Kraus, Chairman of the Senate Health Committee of the Czech Republic,’ said Mykhailo Radutskyi, Chairman of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance.
The main topic of the conference is the latest methods of treatment in the field of mental health. The Czech Republic is one of the leaders among EU member states in psychiatric research and development of innovative methods.
In his speech, Radutskyi told his colleagues that due to the pandemic and full-scale war in Ukraine, the need for psychological support services has increased tenfold. ‘To respond to the new challenge, the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme “Are You OK?” was launched in May 2022 at the initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska. As part of the programme, family doctors and therapists were trained in accordance with WHO standards (Mental Health Gap Action Programme). As a result, 170,000 patients sought mental health services from primary care physicians last year.
Recently, our Committee held a roundtable discussion ‘Mental Health Care System in Ukraine: Results and Challenges of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Programme Implementation’. During the event, we summed up the interim results of the programme and presented the draft law ‘On the Mental Health System in Ukraine’.
In my opinion, Ukraine's experience in the field of mental health during the war is unique. At the same time, we appreciate the achievements of our European colleagues. Therefore, the conference became a platform for studying innovative developments in this area. I assured my colleagues that Ukraine is ready to introduce the latest treatment methods in the field of mental health.
I would like to note that the Czech Republic is already implementing several important projects in Ukraine in the medical field. Among them, I would like to highlight the following: the purchase of equipment for a microbiological laboratory, renovation of medical departments to provide them with the latest equipment, transfer of an evacuation bus to Ukrainian rescuers, and equipment for a simulation and training centre to train Ukrainian doctors.
I would like to thank the Government and people of the Czech Republic for their assistance to Ukraine during the full-scale war. I would also like to thank my colleague Roman Kraus for inviting me to the conference,’ said Radutskyi.