Akkon/IRIA Ukraine Project: Training Program for Ukrainian Students

Since October 2022, Akkon University of Human Sciences and the Institute for Research in International Assistance (IRIA) have been supporting the “Promoting health care in wartime conditions. Training, medical education and professional exchange through podcasts and in the field” project. Its aim is to support medical professionals in Ukraine.

As part of this partnership, IRIA organized the second training program for Ukrainian students of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University. It was held in Berlin on January 29 – February 2, 2024.

The first day was dedicated to the introduction of the university and its services by the Akkon/IRIA team, in particular by Professor Timo Ulrichs, MD, Gabi Feldmann and Dmytro Liashov. Introductory presentations by Professor Timo Ulrichs on global health security and IRIA intern Philipp Endler on the German health care system provided an interesting platform for discussion. Julia Brückner from Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V. also provided information about the organization’s activities in Ukraine.

The next day, a visit to the Berlin-Lichtenberg Tuberculosis Centre gave an opportunity to get acquainted with modern methods of diagnosis and treatment, as well as with statistical data on tuberculosis. Communication with patients, social support and post-recovery care were also discussed in an informative meeting with the Centre’s director, Dr. Sebastian Dietrich.

Another day of the program was devoted to sonography. Dr. Lucas Herrmann and Merle Bitter, who are employees of UnifiedForHealth (UFH), gave the students an in-depth theoretical tour and gave them the opportunity to conduct their own examinations.

The working meeting with Paulina von Felde from the Robert Koch Institute was devoted to effective epidemiological surveillance and international cooperation in the fight against infectious diseases. Dr. Lucas Herrmann shared practical knowledge on the topic of antibiotic resistance, and Merle Bitter conducted a practical case study on the topic of physician decision-making.

Visiting the Charite Museum of the History of Medicine became an educational and entertaining event for guests.

On the last day of the program, Dr. Esther Manning, a student at the Akkon University, gave a presentation on the recommendations for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in emergency cases.

At the end of the intensive course, enthusiastic participants received certificates of completion from the hands of Jana-Christine Raatz, commercial director of the Akkon University.

https://www.akkon-hochschule.de/iria

The information was provided by Oksana Shevchuk.

Photographs be the program participants.