The Russo-Ukrainian War: How it Affects Medical Personnel

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Steven Garza, a 21-year-old medical student at the Institute of Higher Studies of Tamaulipas Anahuac, Mexico, currently in his third year of pursuing an MBBS degree. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has seriously compromised the medical education and healthcare services in both nations. Hundreds of thousands of civilians, including medical students and healthcare professionals, have been displaced by force due to both direct attacks and indirect effects, leading many to be forced to find refuge elsewhere. This has led to significant obstacles to medical education and health services, as universities and hospitals that used to train medical students, and where health personnel used to work, have been made nonfunctional, impeding many students from completing their academic needs. 

Medical workers who continue to provide care are working under incredible difficulties. The ongoing conflict has caused thousands of civilian and military casualties, serious injuries, acute health problems, and compromised overall health status. Health workers must contend with a surge in patients even as they struggle with a dwindling workforce because of conscription, injuries, fatalities, and damage to health facilities.

This has been further increased by the degradation of infrastructure, as both hospitals and health centers have been targeted by missiles, affecting both patients and health workers. Furthermore, the destruction of transport networks has hampered access to health services, therefore denying urgent medical attention.

The economic cost to healthcare systems is especially high. There has been a higher demand for medical equipment, such as drugs, bandages, and antibiotics, which require considerable amounts of money to be able to distribute and administer to the patients. This is in addition to having to fund military medical programs, as more healthcare workers are sent to the battlefield to provide care to injured soldiers. The rate of casualties and severe injuries among soldiers per day has contributed to the pressure on an already overburdened system.

The mental impact on healthcare professionals is enormous. Healthcare workers must contend not only with the overwhelming number of patients but also with the psychological trauma that the patients themselves have experienced. Patients often present with severe psychological trauma brought about by the loss of family members, homes, and means of livelihood. Health personnel are subject to psychological impacts as well, including long-term fear of future attacks, the psychological harm from exposure to mass loss of life, and the emotional trauma that results from direct exposure to violence during the undertaking of their work.

Overall, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a deep impact on both nations’ healthcare, infrastructure, and medical education. The interruption of training programs, pressure on existing systems, and psychological and logistical hardship for healthcare professionals have created a multilateral crisis that each country will have to alleviate in some way if they seek to aid the medical field. 

About the author

Steven Garza is a 21-year-old medical student at the Institute of Higher Studies of Tamaulipas Anahuac, currently in his third year of pursuing an MBBS degree. He is an active member of the Standing Committee on Medical Publications (SCOMP). Steven is a student deeply interested in history, the current geopolitical conflicts, and how these impact the medical field, he is invested in exploring the impact of conflicts in the medical field, how healthcare workers adapt to these unusual situations, and what information could be acquired, as he believes that even in conflicting situations, valuable information can be collected.