Azov School of Family Medicine 2024: Event Review

This year, the Azov School of Family Medicine took place from 10 to 12 May in the suburbs of Lviv. The central theme of the School was one of the most pressing issues of our time—medical professionals in wartime. As a result, the program included essential hands-on training in bleeding control, BLS+AED training, and primary surgical management of war-related wounds.

The first day of the Azov School began with introductions, a presentation of the “ABC of Clinical Skills for Primary Care Providers,” and two panel discussions.

The event was opened by Tetiana Chernysh, head of the implementation office of the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Medical Education Development”, and Petro Ilkiv, project coordinator from the Swiss Embassy in Ukraine.

“It is a great joy to support a platform that promotes the professional growth of doctors, nurses, and medical interns. Perhaps the greatest reward is witnessing how education inspires people, helping them realize their potential and improve themselves through such schools and educational programs,” emphasized Tetiana.

“The Swiss government is committed to the health of Ukrainians and aims to create a comprehensive ecosystem of care, focusing on mental health and accessible physical rehabilitation. A significant portion of our assistance is dedicated to training primary healthcare professionals and developing healthcare managers to support medical reform,” Petro stated in his opening remarks.

Following the opening, Vadym Vus, a rural family doctor and World Bank consultant in Ukraine’s primary healthcare assessment project, presented the ABC of Clinical Skills for Primary Care Providers—a handbook created through collaborative efforts between the Project and the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine.

“Our ABC is a set of essential competencies. However, do not perceive it as a strict guideline or directive. We want it to be a practical tool that you can use flexibly and creatively. After all, one of the key pillars of learning worldwide is socialization and creative development,” Vadym explained.

Download the ABC and the Table of Clinical Skills here:

• ABC of Clinical Skills: https://bit.ly/4aVsUtT
• Table of Clinical Skills: https://bit.ly/47JLToe

Another key topic discussed was ethics and confidentiality in medical practice. Ihor Zastavnyi held a discussion with Anastasiia Khodan, Tetiana Chernysh, and Daryna Bogdan. This topic sparked an engaging conversation, raising numerous questions and insights. Anastasiia and Tetiana shared how the idea for the project came about, what confidentiality means in medical practice, and why it’s important to talk about it, while Daryna shared the future plans.

“Since this issue is not widely discussed, we want to initiate a broader dialogue and bring it into the spotlight. We need to approach confidentiality and ethics at multiple levels—individually (in interactions between doctors and non-medical professionals who engage with patients) and organizationally (by implementing systemic changes in procedures, communication, and ethical standards). We plan to start with research and then move towards individual and institutional training,” shared Daryna.

The first day concluded with the “Medical Professionals in Wartime” panel discussion, moderated by Fedir Lapii and Anastasiia Khodan. Panelists included Mariia Nazarova, tactical medicine instructor for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and co-author of the military medic training program; Ivan Kondratenko, military doctor of the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade, emergency medicine trainer, and founder of Dnipro TakMed NGO; Rina Reznick, head of communications for the medical service of the 12th Special Forces Brigade “Azov”. This intense and emotional discussion shed light on the realities of medical professionals working in war conditions. Attendees were particularly interested in what roles family doctors can hold in the AFU, how military service for doctors is structured, and what skills are essential for family doctors before joining the military.

Read more in the Project Bulletin (pages 11–13): “Doctor at War: How to Join the AFU and What Skills Are Required?”

The first day of Azov School

The next two days of the Azov School were dedicated to practical training. Participants developed hands-on skills in bleeding control with Mariia Nazarova; BLS+AED training with Ivan Kondratenko; Primary surgical wound management with Orest Smaliukh; Vaccination clinical workshop with Iryna Voloshyna and Fedir Lapii; Dermatoscopy with Ivan Kutchak and Adriana Dekhtiaruk; Spirometry and inhalation therapy with Oksana Moloda and Iryna Voloshyna; Emergency care for anaphylactic shock under Ivan and Olena Kondratenko. Additionally, Oleh Yudin led a session on the legal aspects of family medicine practice.

The closing of the Azov School of Family Medicine 2024 took place with the participation of Pavlo Kovtoniuk, co-founder of the Ukrainian Health Center (UHC), who delivered a talk on “A Fair Contract Between Doctors and Society.” In his speech, Pavlo reflects on the development of healthcare in Ukraine through a historical lens and explores what can be done now to drive progress and change.

Speech by Pavlo Kovtoniuk

The event was organized by the Academy of Family Medicine of Ukraine with support from the Ukrainian-Swiss project “Medical Education Development”.