Ihor Terekhov: Healthcare in frontline regions is a crucial part of the economic infrastructure

Frontline healthcare should be regarded as an asset that has an impact on the economic resilience of cities, not as a sector that requires “excessive public spending”. This is the argument made by Head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities and Mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, in his op-ed for Ekonomichna Pravda.
The experience of Kharkiv shows that investment in healthcare resilience pays off by reducing productivity losses, minimising population outflow and, as a result, preserving the city’s economy, Terekhov writes.

“Our management decision was simple: to ensure that the medical infrastructure has autonomy, safety and mobility,”
the Mayor of Kharkiv emphasises.

In particular, he notes that Kharkiv has equipped all municipal medical facilities with shelters, and cluster hospitals with fully fledged bunkers capable of autonomous performing surgeries, resuscitation procedures and postoperative care. Special attention has been paid to energy independence and autonomy: hospitals have been equipped with generators, modular gas boiler houses, rooftop solar power plants and artesian wells. Rapid reconstruction has also been a priority (in Kharkiv, 44 out of 49 hospitals were damaged), as well as avoiding interruptions in healthcare provision by deploying temporary modular outpatient clinics and redirecting patients to other facilities.

At the same time, Ihor Terekhov notes that there are problems that must be addressed at the government level. The Association of Frontline Cities and Communities has proposed solutions for supporting healthcare in frontline regions that have been tested in practice and should be scaled up to other regions:

1. Frontline healthcare as a dedicated area of state policy
The Association proposes creating a dedicated component within the medical guarantee program with increased tariffs, capital expenditures, safety priorities, support for medical staff and rehabilitation.

2. Support for medical workers in frontline areas
Providing comprehensive support for healthcare employees in high-risk communities: housing, life insurance, paid leave and health recovery. Introducing a rotation system to prevent burnout and, consequently, loss of staff.

3. Safe next-generation hospitals
Kharkiv has experience in equipping hospital shelters capable of operating autonomously. This model needs to be scaled: hospitals with underground operating rooms, delivery rooms, autonomous power supply, water and ventilation should become a basic standard for the entire country.

4. Mobile healthcare and telemedicine
Medical services must be available wherever people are. Mobile clinics based on minibuses, outreach teams, mobile pharmacies and laboratories make it possible to sustain life even in communities without hospitals. Telemedicine is a key tool for expanding capacity. With Starlink connectivity, a doctor from a remote village can get a consultation from a specialist in the regional centre or from leading institutes in Kyiv or Kharkiv.

Medicine stockpiles and digital monitoring
Creating a decentralised system of medicine storage at community level with digital stock monitoring. This will help avoid disruptions in treatment during prolonged shelling and breakdowns in supply chains.

5.Rehabilitation and mental health
Physical rehabilitation of the wounded, psychological support for military personnel, civilians and healthcare workers is not optional, but essential. Kharkiv has established its own network of mental health centres that have already helped hundreds of veterans and residents. Other frontline communities have similar experiences.

“Healthcare resilience directly affects the national resilience in preserving jobs, tax revenues and, most importantly, people who help the country fight,”
notes the Head of the Association of Frontline Cities and Communities, Ihor Terekhov.