Yesterday we spent the day at the Zhytomyr Regional Hospital, delivering the critically needed orthopedic equipment and other essential surgical supplies we brought. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed so warmly by Dr. Vitali Khomencho and Dr. Victor, two extraordinary surgeons who work with a level of dedication that feels almost superhuman. I met them two years ago
We walked through the wards with them, meeting patients whose bodies carry the brutal signatures of this war. So many complicated trauma injuries it was hard to look without wincing, harder still to listen to their stories. Their recovery will be long, months, even years, but because of the external fixation devices we brought, their limbs will be saved. These devices are truly limb saving. They mean mobility. They mean dignity.
Patients arrive here from the front-line triage stabilization points twice a week, on hospital trains that pull in at 3 a.m. Ambulances line up in the dark to receive them. The more complex, life-threatening cases come to this regional hospital. By the time they arrive, their wounds dirty from the battlefield, from dust, from shrapnel, are often infected. Sepsis is one of the greatest dangers. It can destroy bone. It can steal a limb or a life. The delay in treatment is unavoidable; it takes time to move an injured soldier across a country at war. And so these doctors fight not just trauma, but infection. The patients face such long recoveries.
We returned again today for long, thoughtful conversations with Dr. Vitali and Dr. Victor. Their honesty, their exhaustion, and their unwavering commitment moved me deeply.
Ukraine has a universal healthcare system and the government pays, but only about 70% of the actual cost of care. Hospitals must somehow make up the remaining 30% in a time of war, when resources are stretched thin and needs are overwhelming. The result is aging medical equipment, shortages of surgical supplies, and constant improvisation. And still, the care these surgeons provide is excellent. I asked about military doctors and was stunned to learn that they are conscripted. Not volunteers. Called up. This regional hospital alone has lost more than twenty doctors to military duty. They will return as extremely experienced trauma surgeons, but when? No one can say. There is no set term. They serve until the war ends. Meanwhile, Dr. Vitali and Dr. Victor take no vacations. They work endlessly long hours. They simply keep going. An exciting development: through various funding sources, their trauma and emergency room is being rebuilt. They expect it to open within a month. We toured the space, fresh paint on the walls, new wiring going in, workers all around. Our visit to Zhytomyr has been profoundly moving. These doctors are so grateful to SIGN International FX Care (donated external fixations and ortho supplies), and to every single one of you who donated to Hands On Global. Your generosity made the purchase of this desperately needed equipment possible. You have helped save limbs. You have helped save futures.
It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to deliver these supplies. To stand beside these surgeons, to witness their courage, and to tell you, your donation, your kindness is making a real, tangible difference here in Ukraine.
