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Ukrainian children's doctors learn new skills from NHS

Chloe Harcombe & Jules Hyam
BBC News, Bristol
BBC Dr Viktoriya Betsal, Dr Anastasiia Sabadosh and Martin Gargan inside Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Dr Betsal has long dark red hair and is looking directly at Mr Gargan, having a conversation with him. Dr Sabadosh has long dark brown hair and is looking at Dr Betsal. Mr Gargan is standing with his arms crossed.BBC
Dr Viktoriya Betsal (L) and Dr Anastasiia Sabadosh (centre) are working with Martin Gargan (R) at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children

Children's clinicians from hospitals in Ukraine are being trained by NHS staff to help them to "prepare for anything" amid the ongoing Russian invasion.

Staff from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and five other trusts across England are giving their time and expertise throughout the four-week course on paediatric rehabilitation.

Participants will then return home to Ukraine to help children suffering from the physical, mental and emotional turmoil of war.

Martin Gargan, a consultant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said: "They're hopefully learning something from us and we're learning something from them."

The Ukrainian participants are working with teams in the intensive care, neurorehabilitation and sleep departments to gain new skills and knowledge to take back home.

Dr Viktoriya Betsal and Dr Anastasiia Sabadosh work at the children's hospital in Khmelnytskyi.

The colleagues said they decided to stay in their home country to "do something useful" throughout the conflict.

Dr Viktoriya Betsal. She has long dark red hair and is pictured looking directly at the camera and smiling. She has a blue NHS lanyard around her neck.
Dr Betsal works in the physical and rehabilitation medicine department in Khmelnytskyi's children's hospital

Dr Betsal said: "Every city has missiles and attacks from drones, and because of electricity problems, sometimes even to get the healthcare and provide the healthcare for the patient can be difficult.

"We need to learn more and find out how to manage it and provide it better."

Both doctors said they "really like" the practices in place in Bristol, and they spend many evenings after work discussing how they will implement similar methods in their own teams.

Dr Anastasiia Sabadosh. She has dark brown hair and glasses with thin black frames. She is pictured looking directly at the camera and smiling.
Dr Sabadosh works in functional diagnostics at Khmelnytskyi's children's hospital

"We have a lot of support here and it's amazing," Dr Sabadosh said.

"A lot of doctors try to support us and tell us as much as they can so we can understand and learn here."

Dr Batsel added: "Even the small things - how to speak with a patient, how to work with our colleagues - for all these things we thank you."

The doctors will return to Ukraine after completing their placements in Bristol at the end of June.

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