Serhii Melnyk: The Ministry of Defence will establish four interregional rehabilitation centers for military personnel by the end of 2025

An expanded session of the Barrier-Free Council was held in Kyiv, attended by Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba.

Participants included officials from various ministries, central government bodies, the Verkhovna Rada, the Office of the President of Ukraine, foreign diplomats, international technical assistance project representatives, public experts, local government officials, and representatives from businesses implementing barrier-free solutions.

One of the key topics of the meeting was ensuring access to high-quality medical care for military personnel.

In her address, First Lady Olena Zelenska emphasized that barrier-free accessibility has become ingrained in the public consciousness of Ukrainians: “This represents a profound shift in societal awareness.” It is essential to maintain this level of motivation among people. That is why I want to focus our attention on this: the public demand has finally emerged, and we cannot afford to ignore it. Restoring lost motivation is even more challenging than building it from scratch.”

Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Brigadier General of Justice Serhii Melnyk, presented two strategic initiatives of the Ministry of Defence aimed at strengthening the military medical system: the “Health and Recovery Centers” and the "Wounded Warrior Package.”

The ‘Health and Recovery Centers’ project involves the establishment of a network of modern military medical rehabilitation and mental health centers.

 “In 2024, tens of thousands of service members sought psychological assistance and underwent rehabilitation, yet the actual need for such services is several times greater. The current system of military hospitals in Ukraine is not equipped to handle this demand. To address this, the Ministry of Defence is launching a large-scale initiative to create a network of military medical rehabilitation and mental health centers. By the end of 2025, the Ministry of Defence will establish four interregional rehabilitation centers capable of accommodating up to 1,730 service members simultaneously,” stated Serhii Melnyk.

The rehabilitation program will encompass medical treatment, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, support to families of military personnel, and social reintegration. Additionally, a series of training courses for medical personnel will be launched on the Reserve+ and Army+ online platforms to enhance their ability to effectively support service members with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The second initiative, the ‘Wounded Warrior Package,’ is a comprehensive system of in-kind support for all service members who have sustained wounds. The package will include 30 essential items, such as adaptive clothing and personal hygiene products, necessary during the stabilization and subsequent treatment phases.

“The Health and Recovery Centers will ensure that service members can undergo treatment and rehabilitation more efficiently, while the ‘Wounded Warrior Package’ will provide our defenders with essential items from the earliest days of their hospitalization. We are also intensifying efforts to ensure barrier-free environments across all Ministry of Defence medical facilities. This will allow our defenders to receive high-quality treatment and access all services without restrictions,” emphasized Deputy Minister Serhii Melnyk.

Both initiatives are integral components of the National Strategy for Creating a Barrier-Free Environment and make a tangible contribution to building a robust, modern, and compassionate military medical system.