Logan Reid
Ukraine's healthcare system has been significantly impacted by the ongoing conflict with Russia, with hospitals and other medical facilities bearing the brunt of the damage. As of July 2024, over 1,800 medical institutions have been damaged or destroyed, with targeted attacks on hospitals, maternity wards, and outpatient clinics. Despite the destruction, Ukraine's Health Ministry has reported that 885 medical facilities have been fully or partially restored, showcasing the country's resilience and commitment to providing quality healthcare to its citizens.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of hospitals in Ukraine | 3050 medical institutions under the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 114 under the Department of Corrections, and 41 under the Academy of Medical Sciences |
| Total number of beds | 436,400 |
| Outpatient clinics capacity | 957,100 visits per shift; Ministry of Health outpatient clinics designed for 890,700 visits per shift; Academy of Medical Sciences institutions can consult 5,000 patients per shift |
| Number of doctors | 207,900 in 2008; a shortage of 48,000 doctors was reported |
| Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War | Over 1,800 medical facilities damaged or destroyed; 99 institutions with structures completely destroyed; 885 facilities fully or partially restored; widespread attacks on healthcare facilities, including hospitals, maternity wards, and outpatient clinics |
| Challenges during the war | Staff shortages, increased job hours for nurses and staff, disruption of hospital supplies due to power outages, and inadequate storage of vaccines, antibiotics, drugs, blood, and insulin |
| Maternal and child health | Sharp decline in obstetric deliveries; increased adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight, premature births, and miscarriage |
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What You'll Learn
The Ukraine-Russia war's impact on hospitals
Ukraine's healthcare system has been significantly impacted by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, resulting in attacks on civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and schools. During the first three months of the full-scale war, Russian forces damaged more than 600 hospitals and at least 12 medics were killed. The Ukrainian Healthcare Center (UHC) has documented 334 attacks on 267 Ukrainian healthcare facilities during the first year of the invasion, with heavy weaponry used in almost all attacks. The majority of these attacks targeted general hospitals and primary care clinics, particularly in eastern Ukraine. As a result, the capability and capacity of Ukraine's healthcare system to provide care have been severely limited.
The Geneva Conventions and Rome Statute demand protections for healthcare facilities during war, but these protections have been frequently breached in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian government has made it a priority to restore damaged medical infrastructure and ensure that necessary medical services remain available to its citizens. In the first 23 months of the war, 480 medical facilities were fully restored, and another 372 were partially restored.
Despite these restoration efforts, the impact of the war on Ukraine's healthcare system has been profound. Even before the war, Ukraine faced a shortage of medical staff, with a deficit of 48,000 healthcare professionals. The war has exacerbated this shortage, as healthcare workers have been among the casualties of the conflict. Additionally, Russian forces have blocked the supply of drugs to occupied territories and threatened doctors with reprisals, further hindering the provision of medical care.
The specific number of hospitals in Ukraine is unclear, but the Ministry of Health of Ukraine oversees approximately 3,050 medical institutions, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other facilities. This accounts for almost 91% of the total number of medical institutions in the country. The ongoing attacks on Ukraine's healthcare infrastructure have had a devastating impact on the country's ability to provide essential medical services to its citizens and displaced persons.
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Medical staff shortages
Ukraine's healthcare system has been under immense strain since the start of the war in 2022. Russian attacks on healthcare infrastructure have damaged or destroyed many hospitals, clinics, and outpatient facilities, limiting access to medical care for millions of Ukrainians. The ongoing conflict has exacerbated pre-existing staff shortages, particularly among nurses, and has taken a psychological toll on healthcare workers, leading to concerns about burnout.
Even before the war, Ukraine faced a shortage of medical staff, with a deficit of 48,000 healthcare workers in 2008. The shortage of nurses was a particular challenge, with Ukraine having about half as many nurses per 10,000 people compared to the European Union average. The nursing shortage has been further exacerbated by the war, as many nurses have left the country or moved to less dangerous regions.
The war has also disrupted the training of the next generation of healthcare workers, with applications to Ukrainian medical schools falling by 21% between 2019 and 2023. This decline could have long-term implications for the country's healthcare system, as it may indicate a lack of young people entering the medical field to replace the aging workforce. More than half of Ukraine's primary care doctors are over 50, and many are past retirement age.
The psychological toll of the war on healthcare workers cannot be overstated. Healthcare workers are not immune to the ongoing psychological stress of the war, and burnout is a significant concern. Many doctors and nurses have been working tirelessly in dangerous conditions, with some sleeping in hospitals and working almost 24 hours a day. The constant fear and stress of living and working in a war zone can take a heavy toll on mental health and well-being.
The staff shortages have had a direct impact on the availability and accessibility of healthcare services in Ukraine. According to a survey by the Kyiv School of Economics and the University of Oxford, nearly 16% of households cannot access treatment due to destroyed facilities or unavailable staff. This issue is particularly acute in eastern frontline regions such as Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, where the frequency of attacks on health centers makes it dangerous to seek medical care.
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Supply disruption
Ukraine's healthcare system is facing severe supply chain disruptions due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that medical facilities in Ukraine are stretched to breaking point, with hospitals struggling to provide care to the sick and wounded. The current estimated number of people impacted in Ukraine is 18 million, including 6.7 million internally displaced individuals. This has placed immense strain on the country's healthcare system, exacerbating the challenges of supply disruption.
The conflict has led to the destruction or damage of many Ukrainian medical infrastructure facilities. Russia's military offensive has targeted hospitals, clinics, outpatient facilities, and maternity wards, disrupting access to essential health services. These attacks have resulted in the death and injury of civilians and healthcare workers, further straining the system. As a result, the Ukrainian government, alongside partners such as WHO, is working tirelessly to restore and rebuild medical facilities to ensure the availability of necessary medical care for its citizens.
The supply chain disruptions have resulted in shortages of critical medical supplies, equipment, and medications. Hospitals are facing shortages of life-saving equipment and drugs, including oxygen, insulin, surgical supplies, anaesthetics, and transfusion kits. The situation is dire, with WHO and other humanitarian organizations providing support to alleviate these shortages and ensure a constant flow of health supplies into Ukraine. They are also assisting in maintaining electrical supply in affected health facilities and providing technical support and surge staff.
The impact of the conflict on the supply chain extends beyond Ukraine's borders. The healthcare industry's dependence on crude oil, natural gas, and certain metals for equipment and goods production makes it vulnerable to disruptions. As Russia and Ukraine are significant suppliers of natural gas, delays and price increases could affect the production of plastics used in medical trays, syringes, pill bottles, and sharps disposal containers. Additionally, metals such as aluminum, nickel, titanium, neon gas, and iron, which are mined in the region, are essential for surgical instruments, implantable orthopedic devices, and medical equipment.
Furthermore, the invasion of Ukraine has involved cyber-attacks on Ukrainian government and critical infrastructure organizations. This has raised concerns about potential cyber threats to healthcare systems, which could further disrupt the supply chain. Organizations, especially in the wake of sanctions, must enhance their cybersecurity efforts to prepare for potential disruptive cyber activity. The conflict's impact on the global logistics and transportation networks has worsened the existing supply chain crisis, affecting the delivery of medical supplies to hospitals and clinics, with potential long-term consequences.
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Maternal and infant healthcare
Ukraine's healthcare system has been significantly impacted by the ongoing conflict, with many hospitals, clinics, and maternity wards damaged or destroyed. The Ukrainian government, along with international organisations like WHO/Europe and UNFPA, has been working to restore medical infrastructure and provide critical maternal and infant healthcare.
Prior to the conflict, Ukraine had approximately 3050 medical institutions, with the Ministry of Health overseeing almost 91% of them. However, the war has disrupted these healthcare services, especially for pregnant women and infants. The war has forced mothers to give birth in dangerous conditions, putting their lives and their babies' lives at risk.
To address these challenges, WHO/Europe has prioritized interventions to improve health services for women, newborns, children, and adolescents. They have provided technical assistance to improve access to RMCAH (reproductive, maternal, child, and adolescent health) services for internally displaced persons and those in affected eastern regions. WHO/Europe is also strengthening emergency triage assessment and treatment services for children and building the capacity of healthcare providers in Mobile Emergency Primary Healthcare Units (MEPUs) by including maternal and child health modules in their training.
UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, has also played a crucial role in delivering critical maternal healthcare in Ukraine. They have provided access to life-saving healthcare services and distributed more than 59 metric tons of reproductive health supplies, benefiting over 4.5 million people in Ukraine and Moldova. UNFPA has distributed these supplies to 26 hospitals in war-torn Ukrainian cities and delivered a mobile maternity unit—a 20-foot shipping container designed to provide essential maternal care services, including a waiting area, treatment/delivery room, and recovery area.
Despite these efforts, the needs of pregnant women and newborns in Ukraine remain high, and the restoration of medical infrastructure is an ongoing process. The Ukrainian government's priority remains to provide its citizens with quality and necessary medical services, even in the face of the challenges posed by the war.
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Restoration of medical facilities
Ukraine has experienced significant losses to its medical system due to the ongoing war with Russia. Since the start of the conflict, Russia has targeted and attacked hospitals, clinics, outpatient facilities, and maternity wards, causing extensive damage and disruption to essential primary healthcare services. The healthcare infrastructure in several regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Luhansk, has suffered severe destruction, with Ukraine losing access to medical facilities in certain areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 1,200 attacks on healthcare facilities since February 24, 2022. In response to the devastation, WHO, in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, has taken initiative to ensure continued access to primary healthcare. WHO is installing 14 modular primary care facilities, which are prefabricated healthcare units that can be quickly assembled and installed within 10 days to 2 weeks. These modular clinics serve as temporary replacements for damaged facilities, providing infrastructure for healthcare workers to deliver essential services.
The Ukrainian government, with the support of international partners, is actively working to restore the medical infrastructure affected by the war. As of February 2023, the restoration of medical infrastructure was estimated to cost more than USD 6 billion. The Ministry of Health has established a project office dedicated to healthcare system restoration and has developed a draft Healthcare Infrastructure Recovery Plan. This plan is divided into three blocks: the first focuses on providing medical care and restoring services in de-occupied territories, the second involves rebuilding medical facilities and enhancing rehabilitation and mental health services, and the third block centers on modernizing the medical system according to international best practices.
In addition to these efforts, external organizations have contributed to the restoration of Ukraine's medical facilities. For example, in May 2019, six medical facilities in Kharkiv underwent large-scale renovation and modernization thanks to long-term, low-interest loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB). These investments aimed to improve living standards and address the needs of internally displaced persons from eastern Ukraine, totaling EUR 200 million in loans.
As of January 2025, Ukraine has approximately 3,050 medical institutions, with a capacity of 436,400 beds across all ministries and departments. Despite the ongoing challenges, Ukraine remains committed to providing its citizens with quality and necessary medical services, and efforts to restore and rebuild medical facilities continue across the country.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2024, over 1,800 medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion by Russia. However, it is unclear how many hospitals are included in this number. Before the invasion, Ukraine had around 3,050 medical institutions, almost 91% of which were under the Ministry of Health.
The Russia-Ukraine war has had significant impacts on Ukrainian hospital services. Russian attacks have targeted hospitals, maternity wards, outpatient clinics, and polyclinics, causing widespread damage and destruction. Hospitals have also faced challenges due to staff shortages, increased job hours for nurses and other staff, and disruptions in hospital supplies due to energy infrastructure attacks.
Hospitals in Ukraine have adapted to staff shortages by engaging community health workers and trained community members, especially in areas like immunization, testing, mental health support, and referral to care.
Deliberate attacks on healthcare facilities are considered violations of the rules of war and are classified as war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Quantifying the impact of the war on hospital services is critical to understanding the humanitarian toll of the crisis.
