Estonia allocates €3 mln to extend prosthetics program for Ukrainian military in 2024

With the assistance of the BGV Charitable Foundation, the Estonian government continued the prosthetics program for the Ukrainian military. Estonian parliamentarians and government officials allocated 3 million euros for this in the 2024 budget.

Rubryka reports this.

Throughout the year, Ukrainian soldiers who have suffered complex lower limb amputations will have the opportunity to receive state-of-the-art electronic bionic prosthetics at no cost in one of Estonia's leading hospitals.

"We are very grateful to the Estonian society for finding opportunities and resources to continue the program for our soldiers who lost their lower limbs while defending their homeland. For us, Ukrainians, this is now invaluable help and support," Polina Aldoshyna, director of the Foundation, said.

The initial three people from Ukraine are currently undergoing prosthetic treatment at one of Estonia's most advanced medical facilities, known as Ida-Tallinn Keskhaigla (East Tallinn Central Clinical Hospital). They have been provided with custom-fitted prosthetics to suit their individual needs, ensuring a perfectly balanced and natural walking stride. These prosthetics include shock absorbers and moving parts supporting various physical activity levels. They even have a mobile application that allows users to switch between walking and different sports modes. The cost of each prosthesis amounts to approximately 80,000 euros.

The Estonian side covers all costs associated with the stay abroad, while the BGV fund handles the organizational processes and covers all logistical expenses.

It's important to mention that the prosthetics program, which the Estonian government is supporting with the help of the Charitable Foundation, began in the spring of 2023. Last year, 23 Ukrainians participated in the program and received a total of 32 prosthetics at the Ida-Tallinn Keskhaigla (East Tallinn Central Clinical Hospital). This medical facility is one of the largest in the country, with seven clinics and a staff of over 2,500 employees.

Nine Ukrainians received prosthetics from Estonian doctors and shared their personal life experiences and future goals in the collaborative project "Faces of Strength" by the BGV Charity Fund and Rubryka media outlet.

Furthermore, the Foundation's Director, Polina Aldoshyna, visited Estonia in October 2023. During the trip, she met with Estonian government officials, including Minister of Health Riina Sikkut and the Ministers of Economy and Social Policy. She also held meetings with representatives from the National Defense and Finance Committees and all political factions of the Estonian parliament. The purpose of these meetings was to emphasize the significance and impact of extending the 3 million euro prosthetics program to 2024 for Ukrainian citizens.

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It is worth mentioning that in autumn 2023, Rubryka and the Ukrainian Charitable Fund BGV collaborated on a special project called "Faces of Strength" as a token of appreciation to the Republic of Estonia for their consistent support, with hopes of continuing the prosthetics program for Ukrainians in the future. The program has now been extended for another year.

The stories of the nine Ukrainians were also printed in Ukrainian and English and presented to Estonian government officials and parliamentarians.