Ministry of Health: With France’s support, modern shelters have begun operating at two hospitals in Chernihiv region
Modern shelters have begun operating at the Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital and the Chernihiv Regional Psychoneurological Hospital. The facilities were renovated and equipped with support from Expertise France in Ukraine as part of the APPUI Santé project, which is funded by the Crisis and Support Center of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic (CDCS) at the request of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The renovated facilities were inspected by Ukrainian Minister of Health Viktor Liashko, Gaël Veyssière, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Ukraine, Vincent Vial, Head of the Program at Expertise France, and representatives of regional authorities and medical institutions.
“Creating modern shelters in medical facilities ensures the continuity of medical care even during air raid alerts and other security threats, which is particularly important for regions that are constantly under russian attack. In cooperation with international partners, we continue to expand and modernize the network of protected medical spaces so that patients can receive the necessary care and medical professionals can work in safe conditions. I am grateful to France and Expertise France for supporting this work. Today in Chernihiv, we are opening two modern shelters at the regional children’s and psychoneurological hospitals. This is an important step toward strengthening the security of the region’s medical infrastructure and enhancing the resilience of the healthcare system as a whole,” said Viktor Liashko, Minister of Health of Ukraine.
As part of the project, the Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital underwent a major renovation of its surgical ward—designed to provide emergency surgical care—and its intensive care unit, both located in a 730 m² shelter. The facility has also been equipped with modern medical equipment, including anesthesia and mechanical ventilation machines, vital signs monitors, diagnostic devices, surgical instruments, sterilization systems, and other equipment necessary for the intensive care unit to function fully in an underground setting.
At the Chernihiv Regional Psychoneurological Hospital, a modern underground shelter with an area of 720 m² has been built to ensure the safety of patients and medical staff and to provide uninterrupted medical care during a state of martial law. In addition, the facility’s water supply system was renovated, which included drilling a new well, installing a water treatment plant, and carrying out major repairs on two water towers.
Another project in the region—the renovation of the surgical and intensive care units at the Ichnia City Hospital—will be completed as early as this summer. Furthermore, a project to construct a surgical wing at the hospital in Nizhyn, carried out as part of a Ukrainian-French partnership, was launched this year.
Minister Viktor Liashko also emphasized that cooperation between Ukraine and France was not limited to infrastructure projects. Horizontal cooperation between healthcare institutions is also developing as part of the International Medical Partnership initiative, launched under the patronage of Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska. To date, more than 100 memorandums of understanding have been signed under the initiative, including more than 26 with healthcare institutions in France, which are being implemented with the support of Expertise France.
“The International Medical Partnership is about direct ‘doctor-to-doctor’ contact. It’s when a doctor in Kyiv or Chernihiv can call a colleague in Paris or Berlin and together find the best solution for a specific patient. It’s when our doctors train at the world’s leading clinics. It’s when they share the unique experience they’ve gained under the most difficult conditions of war. Each of the facilities we are visiting today has a partnership with French university hospitals. The Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital collaborates with Lille University Hospital, and the Chernihiv Psychoneurological Hospital collaborates with Nîmes University Hospital. As early as this fall, Ukrainian specialists will continue their professional internships in France. This is precisely how we build long-term results that will benefit Ukrainian patients even after the completion of the reconstruction projects,” emphasized Viktor Liashko.
As a reminder, in June 2024, the governments of Ukraine and France signed an intergovernmental grant agreement totaling EUR 200 million, part of which is earmarked for the healthcare sector and critical infrastructure: seven agreements in the healthcare sector were concluded for a total of EUR 51 million. In addition, in 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified framework agreements between Ukraine and France on cooperation in the reconstruction and modernization of hospitals and in the field of cancer diagnostics.