As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches its fifth year in February 2026, health-care facilities in frontline regions continue to operate under severe strain. Hospitals in Chernihiv, Kherson, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Sumy face constant pressure due to ongoing hostilities, regular shelling, and a sustained influx of patients requiring urgent medical and surgical care.
In December 2025, the World Health Organization Country Office in Ukraine, with financial support from the European Union’s Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, delivered critical medical equipment to hospitals across these regions. Valued at approximately US$800,000, the equipment plays a vital role in ensuring the continuity of health-care services and enabling the safe and timely treatment of trauma patients in areas most affected by the conflict.
To strengthen hospital capacities, WHO supplied electrosurgical units to hospitals in Kherson, Odesa, and Sumy, along with anaesthesia stations equipped with patient monitors and integrated infusion and syringe pumps to facilities in Chernihiv and Sumy. In Mykolaiv, intensive care beds were delivered to support critically ill patients requiring continuous monitoring and life-support care. These interventions directly enhance the ability of hospitals to perform complex surgeries and manage emergency cases.
Health officials emphasized that the equipment significantly improves patient safety and the quality of care provided on the frontline. Anaesthesia stations allow precise delivery of oxygen and anaesthetics while continuously monitoring vital signs, ensuring safer surgical procedures. Integrated infusion and syringe pumps enable accurate medication dosing, which is essential for stabilizing critically ill patients, while electrosurgical units support precise surgical interventions with reduced risks and faster recovery times.
The equipment is already strengthening emergency and surgical care across multiple regions. In Sumy, where hospitals frequently receive patients injured by shelling, new anaesthesia stations are supporting the expansion of emergency surgical units. In Chernihiv, improved anaesthesia capacity is helping facilities deliver safer care close to the frontline, while in Mykolaiv, intensive care beds are supporting post-operative patients, stroke survivors, individuals with neurological conditions, and internally displaced people.
Medical professionals on the ground stress that without this equipment, it would be impossible to manage the high volume of patients requiring urgent surgical intervention. Overall, the support provided by WHO and the European Union is enhancing the safety, efficiency, and resilience of Ukraine’s health-care system, helping frontline hospitals maintain surgical capacity, reduce complications, and save lives amid ongoing conflict.
