On Sunday, July 27, Ukraine celebrates Medical Workers’ Day — a professional holiday honoring those who save lives every day, whether in hospitals, stabilization points, operating rooms, or under fire on the front lines.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked doctors, nurses, combat medics, and all healthcare professionals for their endurance, compassion, and daily heroism. “Thanks to you, life goes on, even in the most difficult times,” he wrote on social media. “Immense respect to each and every one of you for your work. Grateful for everything you do for Ukraine.”
In Kharkiv, a city frequently targeted by Russian attacks, Mayor Ihor Terekhov highlighted the extreme conditions under which local medical professionals work. Of the city’s 58 public medical institutions, 44 have been damaged, many of them more than once. Despite this, the local healthcare system continues to function no worse than it did before the full-scale war.
“The daily reality for Kharkiv’s doctors, paramedics, and nurses is very different from that in most other Ukrainian cities,” Terekhov said. “In addition to treating routine cases and chronic illnesses, they save the wounded after enemy strikes, working under threat of shelling, amid explosions and rubble.”
Terekhov also paid special tribute to military medics who perform life-saving operations under combat conditions and help bring wounded soldiers back to consciousness, to life, and often back to service.
“I am deeply thankful to every medical worker for their professionalism, endurance, and for staying with our people in their hometown during these hardest times,” Terekhov said.
“Happy holiday!” he concluded.