In Kyiv, a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center, RECOVERY, has opened at one of the key medical facilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is the 14th center in the national network founded by Viktor and Olena Pinchuk to support Ukraine’s security and defense forces.
The new center offers free, evidence-based rehabilitation services to soldiers, police officers, and emergency responders injured in the line of duty. Annually, the RECOVERY center can assist nearly 2,000 injured individuals.
The RECOVERY project exemplifies successful collaboration between the private sector and the state, with donors establishing innovative rehabilitation centers within public medical institutions. Currently, 12 centers operate in civilian medical facilities, while 2 are based within security agencies: the State Border Guard Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Today, our men and women on the frontlines sacrifice their lives and health for all of us. For my wife and me, the RECOVERY project is a way to contribute to this war. These heroes fight for our independence, and they must be assured that if something happens, the state and we will ensure their personal independence,” said Viktor Pinchuk, founder of the RECOVERY project.
The new center is equipped to global standards of inclusivity and technology. Its advanced equipment covers the full range of potential functional impairments, including those from explosive injuries, providing high-tech solutions to help patients recover.
The rehabilitation area features a spacious physical therapy room equipped with virtual reality (VR) devices, offering interactive feedback for patients. This technology gamifies rehabilitation processes, boosting engagement and accelerating recovery. Task-oriented training enhances motivation, while built-in analysis programs effectively monitor patient progress and evaluate rehabilitation outcomes.
A multidisciplinary team works with patients, including specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, assistants, speech and language therapists, and psychologists. Their expertise and high-tech tools deliver quality, evidence-based care to Ukraine’s defenders.
“There has always been a demand for a center like this. Partnering with RECOVERY, we realized we could achieve a shared goal. Opening this modern rehabilitation center within a medical facility was crucial to help service members quickly regain mobility and return to life. Over the past six months, our multidisciplinary medical team has undergone training both in Ukraine and abroad. The ministry prioritizes delivering top-quality recovery for our defenders,” said Inna Yashchuk, State Secretary of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The center is built with inclusivity in mind, ensuring accessibility and comfort for all patients. Features include wide doorways, no thresholds, non-slip medical flooring, handrails in hallways, and wheelchair-friendly restrooms.
In addition to the two centers in Kyiv, the RECOVERY network provides rehabilitation services in Lviv, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa (2 centers), and Dnipro (3 centers). It is Ukraine’s largest network of rehabilitation centers for service members. Founders Viktor and Olena Pinchuk plan to expand the network to at least 18 centers by early 2025.