“The State Must Remove All Obstacles on the Veteran`s Path to Rehabilitation and Social Integration,” Denys Uliutin.

The key to working with veterans is constant communication with the defenders. Only then will state programs become truly effective. Denys Uliutin, the Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine said this during the Kyiv Region Veterans` Forum “Side by side with Veterans”.

At the forum, veterans together with representatives of the state and business are developing effective steps for the integration and socialization of veterans in communities after returning from combat.

“We hear the veterans. When we visited the rehabilitation center during a trip to one of the frontline regions, the request from veterans was – make access to sports prosthetics simpler. Previously, to receive such a prosthesis, a veteran had to be a member of a sports organization. We have removed this unnecessary requirement,” said Denys Uliutin.

He also added that it is important for all state programs for veterans to complement one another, regardless of which agency is responsible for their implementation.

Visits to the Rehabilitation Centres have shown that the state lacks a clear pathway to provide a person immediately after an injury and guide them him/her full rehabilitation and reintegration into normal life.

To address these and other issues, the Ministry of Social Policy, Family, and Unity of Ukraine together with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine initiated the creation of an Interagency Working Group on Prosthetics Reform in Ukraine. The first result of the group`s work is the development of a roadmap of quality criteria for prosthetics.

“Society must provide defenders with all the conditions to ensure they feel comfortable after returning to civilian life. In the Kyiv region, we already have certain programs that make it possible to create such conditions. These projects are born through direct communication with veterans who clearly explain what needs to be done and how. It is important to spread this experience to other communities,” said the Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, Mykola Kalashnik.

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