The Second Charity Medical Forum MedTalk Gathered Over 500 Students

The second charity medical forum, MedTalk, was held in Ternopil and aimed at supporting the military. The event’s main goal was to raise funds for drones for Ukrainian soldiers. More than 500 medical students had the opportunity to gain experience from practicing doctors. During the forum, participants discussed developments in the field of military rehabilitation, the transformation of medicine in recent years, and the challenges currently facing the medical sector.

The organizers of this event were postgraduate students and students of TNMU, including Nazar Krulyk, Ivan Krupnitskyi, Valeriia Blahulyak, Yuliia Bandrivska, and Anastasiia Hulko.

A significant contribution was made by the volunteer team, which included Nadiia Luchyshyn, Inna Zayarna, Daryna Sichevska, Tetyana Benedyuk, Ilona Kohut, Illia Knysh, Yuliana Sayuk, Viktoriia Zavyslianska, Yelyzaveta Myakhkota, Marta Butkovska, Nazar Slyusar, Anton Komar, Oksana Stanhret, Anastasiia Krutyak, Dmytro Datsiuk, Anna Tkachuk, Vladyslava Meshko, Dariia Tretiak, Tetyana Pervukhina, Svitlana Mahera, Viktoriya Kardynal, Dmytro Pasiyevych, Yuliia Sysiuk, Khrystyna Yashan, Erika Lototska, Albina Pylypchuk, Yuliia Vozniuk, Ruslana Kushnir, Anastasiia Maliuha, Mariya Lebid, Olena Prots, Anastasiia Lisnychyk, Bohdan Lyashyk, Yuliia Hotsko, Bohdan Romanyshyn, Andrii Palamarchuk, Oksana Petryshyn, Yuliia Turyk, Khrystyna Hostiuk, Daryna Kuzmych, Vasyl Kutsyaba, Oleksandr Lyaskovets, Diana Romanets, Danylo Kotur.

Medicine is a Noble Mission

Speeches and best wishes were addressed to all attendees by the head of the patronage service of the 2nd Battalion of the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade, volunteer and founder of the NORD-DRON FPV drone production, head of the “Veteran’s House –Ternopil” project, Olha Konoval, First Deputy Head of the Ternopil Regional Council Volodymyr Boleshchuk, dean of the Medical Faculty of TNMU Petro Lykhatskyi, and head of the Pokrova Charitable Foundation Lyubov Vovk.

“It was an honor to participate in the second charity medical forum MEDTALK, aimed at supporting the military. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of participants — more than 500 medical students who had the chance to learn from practicing doctors. I also had the opportunity to recognize the organizers of the charity forum — TNMU’s postgraduate and medical students. The medical profession has always been and will continue to be noble, as doctors perform an extremely humane mission—saving lives and helping people. I am grateful to everyone who contributed to such a noble event and for their efforts in supporting our soldiers,” said Volodymyr Boleshchuk.

Petro Lykhatskyi wished all participants a productive time and the opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills and establish contacts with experienced doctors.

Deputies of the Ternopil Regional Council Nataliya Onyshkiv and Vasyl Khominets also attended the event.

Public figure and entrepreneur Olha Navrotska thanked the MedTalk organizers for the invitation. “Training and motivating future doctors is very important! This enables the development of medicine and the creation of new institutions. In many respects, we are better than abroad, and as Shevchenko said, learn from others, but do not shy away from your own! We deserve the best medical care in our God-given land!” added Olha Navrotska.

Blood Donation

During the forum, a joint campaign, “My Blood Type” by the Ternopil Blood Center, DonorUA, and “I am a Donor,” took place, where participants had the opportunity to learn their blood type and Rh factor. The blood type determination procedure takes only a few minutes. Representatives of the Ternopil Blood Center used the EldonCard method for this purpose.

The forum organizers and volunteers encouraged everyone to register on #DonorUA to receive notifications when their blood is needed. Today, the number of regular blood donors in Ukraine is three times lower than the minimum required. The “My Blood Type” project is being implemented by DonorUA in collaboration with the Operation SafeDrop initiative of the MAD Foundation and Eldon Biologicals, which produces EldonCard test systems.

The forum organizers set an ambitious goal: to collect 100 liters of donor blood for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and civilians! During the event, 15 liters of blood were collected. The MedTalk organizing committee continued its blood collection efforts after the forum.

Speakers and Mentors

On the first day of the event, students received practical experience from Oksana Prokopchuk, Nataliya Smolyuk, Volodymyr Lisovskyi, Mykhailo Todurov, Roman Balych, Solomiya Ivanytsia, Tetyana Blahulyak, Liudmyla Pidkuimukha, Nataliya Hanzha, Iryna Slavinska, Marta Lesko, Nataliya Bachynska, Nataliya Zastavetska, Iryna Maika, Viktoriya Hlushok, Olha Nychyk, Ivanna Nebor, Shehan Hettiaratchy, Patric Addison, Ken Stewart, and Hnat Herych.

The next day was devoted to acquiring practical skills under the guidance of experienced doctors and mentors, including Olena Venher, Roman Huk, Iryna Pidhayna, Mykola Drosyk, Olena Prokopovych, Iryna Yastremska, and Ksenia Akulova.

Goals Achieved

Thanks to ticket sales, a charity fair by the Pokrova Charitable Foundation, the sale of jewelry by “Steel Hundred,” products by the Kollos embroidery brand, and the charity collection by the Lviv Medical Brotherhood, 250,195 hryvnias were raised for NORD-DRON drones for the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Steel Hundred.” All the efforts of the organizers, their partners, and the medical community proved impactful and will benefit our defenders.

Tatiana Oliinyk, Andrii Olkhovskyi, Olesya Ivanchuk, Nadiya Muzya, and Svitlana Shmyruk participated in the charity fair.

Participants were provided with hot meals by local entrepreneurs — the restaurant “Velyka Myska” from Velykyi Khodachkiv, “SM Market” from Ostriv village, and the kitchen of the Ahroprodservis company.

The forum was supported by the Ternopil Regional Council, the Department of Health of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, the Pokrova Charitable Foundation, and the 67th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Steel Hundred.”