This is a phenomenon of unprecedented mobilization of Ukrainian medical scientists, who transformed a narrow professional community into a powerful logistical and diplomatic force of world class. Combining the 70-year traditions of the Ukrainian Scientific Dental School with crisis management, the team proved that it is capable of dictating the agenda to global institutions.
On March 10, 2022, the team initiated emergency cooperation with the World Medical Association (WMA) and the Standing Committee of Physicians of Europe (CPME). In record time, they brought the medical organizations of the planet back to their feet, and on March 29, 2022 — in less than three weeks — a plane loaded with targeted humanitarian aid for Ukrainian doctors took off and landed in the sky. A large-scale volunteer network was deployed to supply specific equipment directly to practical healthcare facilities, fixing Ukraine's subjectivity on the world stage.
Healthcare Connection: From Frontline Maxillofacial Surgery to Saving the “Veteran’s Smile”
The team’s contribution to the practical healthcare system during the war unfolded in three critical dimensions that save the health and identity of the nation:
Operations in Frontline Zones: The team’s doctors — maxillofacial surgeons and dentists — work non-stop in military hospitals and in the immediate vicinity of the front line. They perform extremely complex reconstructive surgeries, literally assembling the faces and jaws piece by piece after gunshot and mine-explosive wounds in soldiers and civilians. They restore the wounded to their human form, quality of life, ability to speak and eat.
National Program “Healthy Smile — Health of Ukrainians”: The team developed and implemented a systemic program of free dental care and prosthetics for defenders. It was first launched as a pilot project at the Kyiv city level, and later scaled up to the national level, restoring health and dignity to thousands of veterans.
Cancer screening in times of testing: Despite the fighting, the team systematically implements technologies for early detection (screening) of potentially malignant oral neoplasms into healthcare practice, saving the lives of patients in conditions of chronic stress.