On November 13, a mobile rehabilitation unit was opened in Obukhiv through the cooperation of business, the public sector and the government
OBUKHIV, NOVEMBER 13, 2024
PrivatBank, the “Barrier-Free” NGO, the “Mindy” charity fund, Visa and the Kyiv Regional Military Administration joined forces to bring rehabilitation services closer to communities. The social franchise project aims to create conditions for rehabilitation and provide quality psychological assistance to Ukrainians where these services are physically unavailable, logistically complicated, or insufficient in volume or quality.
A completely barrier-free (inclusive) unit with an area of 72 m² was assembled using modular technology and equipped with high-quality rehabilitation equipment. The unit will become a space for physical and psychological rehabilitation of people affected by the Russian invasion.
The advantages of this kind of rehabilitation space include manufacturability, low cost, fast production, scalability and mobility, which makes it convenient to move. All these features are extremely relevant today.
The work of the rehabilitation unit will be supported by:
- a case manager
- a psychologist
- a doctor of physical and rehabilitation medicine
- a physical therapist
- a speech therapist
- specialists in other fields
The main areas of assistance will be physical rehabilitation, prosthetic gait training, prosthetic support, occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological assistance, support groups, legal support, employment, training and retraining.
The unit’s services will be available for veterans, their family members, as well as civilians.
"Focusing on supporting those who protect us, taking care of relatives and our daily work, we can overlook the transformations that we as a society are experiencing right now. Accessibility becomes inevitable. Starting from the initiative proposed by First Lady Olena Zelenska, accessibility is expanding and becoming a basis for building human relations, a principle in creating new services accessible to different people with different experiences. From small and big things, such as the power of unity of the “Business Without Barriers” community, accessibility assembles into a mosaic in which there is a place for everyone," said Oksana Zbitnieva, Head of the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and Head of the “Barrier-Free” NGO.
"For PrivatBank, this project is a consistent step within our Barrier-Free Strategy. We strive for Ukrainian communities to be resilient and economically and socially active. That is why we not only provide training for our employees, introduce accessible digital services and increase the accessibility of our branches, but as a socially responsible business, we also contribute to creating barrier-free spaces in the communities where we live and work. We at PrivatBank are confident that only joint actions by citizens, businesses and the government can help us endure, support each other and move towards recovery and development," said Dmytro Musiienko, Chief Retail Business Officer, Member of the Management Board of PrivatBank.
"For Visa, this project is not just about implementing our social responsibility strategy but an opportunity to make a real contribution to the recovery of Ukraine and change the lives of those affected by the war. It is symbolic that the opening of the mobile unit in Obukhiv took place on the International Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Day, as we believe that quality rehabilitation and psychosocial services should be available in every corner of the country, regardless of the circumstances. The newly inaugurated rehabilitation unit is a space where everyone who endured many struggles can find the necessary support and regain strength to build a successful future. We are proud that, together with our partners, we are building a society in Ukraine that values, supports and helps everyone who needs new opportunities to lead a full life once again," commented Svitlana Chyrva, Vice President, Visa Country Manager for Ukraine and Moldova.
"This is the third such unit in Ukraine and the second such one in the Kyiv region. We are proud that our idea to create mobile rehabilitation units has been successfully scaling up and is already being implemented in new Ukrainian cities. Unfortunately, the war continues, and as the experience of previous units shows, both veterans and civilians are in dire need of such services. That is why the rehabilitation unit is not just a medical institution but a place where people get a chance to recover and return to normal life," said Taras Yermakov, head of the “Mindy” charity fund.
"The need for rehabilitation services is only growing, so we are glad that such an important initiative is being scaled up in the Kyiv region. The unit in Obukhiv will become an integral element of the rehabilitation network that we are developing in the region. For the full restoration of the region, it is as important to restore people's mental and physical health as it is to rebuild what was destroyed," said Deputy Head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration Iryna Starenka.
The project for installing a mobile rehabilitation unit in Obukhiv is part of a social franchise, implemented by the “Mindy” charity fund in cooperation with the Coordination Center for Mental Health of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the “Barrier-Free” NGO within the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program “How Are You?" which is being implemented at the initiative of First Lady Olena Zelenska. The project was made possible due to the support of the members of the “Business Without Barriers” community, Visa and PrivatBank, and with the assistance of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration. Obukhiv District State Administration of Kyiv Region and Obukhiv City Council of Kyiv Region also took part in the cooperation.
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