Within 24 hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, LUX MED, Bupa’s business in Poland, had mobilised to offer vital support to thousands of refugees fleeing to safety.
Thanks to its proximity to Ukraine, Poland has received the largest number of refugees from Ukraine – over 1.4 million according to figures released by the UNHCR in October 2022 – and many of these arrived needing immediate and ongoing medical treatment for a whole range of conditions, including cancer. LUX MED has offered refugees these services free of charge from the outset across its 270 medical centres and 14 hospitals in Poland.
Bupa and LUX MED set up a special Healthcare and Support Programme for Ukrainian refugees to fund services and support to help them start new lives in Poland.
Since the war began LUX MED has provided over 240,000 healthcare services to over 130,000 Ukrainian people who have come to Poland.
Providing help where it’s needed most
To ensure help was provided where it was most urgently needed, LUX MED opened a Medical Centre for Refugees in the Marriott Hotel in the centre of Warsaw, next to the main railway station, which saw thousands of refugees flooding in from Ukraine. A second was set up at the Ptak Warsaw Expo, where refugees could find shelter and stay for a period. In total, LUX MED staff were present at 20 different locations across Poland and two fully equipped ambulances were provided to transport patients between hospitals.
“In the situation we found ourselves in as a country, society, and business after February 24, we had to act out of the ordinary. There is war across the eastern border and millions of Ukrainian citizens still need help. From the very beginning, I believed that we cannot remain indifferent to these events. We must simply behave as we would want others to behave towards us if we were in a similar situation. Thanks to the commitment of Bupa, which has supported relief efforts, we are well positioned to bring help on many levels,” explains Anna Rulkiewicz, LUX MED Group CEO.
Helping refugees into healthcare careers
While offering immediate medical help is critical, LUX MED also wanted to find a way to offer Ukrainian refugees a way to start new lives and careers in Poland. It launched a special professional support programme for healthcare workers from Ukraine. This offers:
- Intensive Polish language training, focused on medical communication.
- Legal support and assistance to help Ukrainians acquire the Right to Practice as a doctor in Poland
- Workshops on the Polish healthcare system
- Workshops on medical law and patient rights and cultural differences in communication with patients
- Medical training where required.
Nine out of ten of those who participate in this programme go on to work for LUX MED in Poland, and since March 2022, 193 Ukrainian healthcare workers have been employed, including 77 doctors.
“It's a big challenge, but we are helped by the unwavering commitment of our people, who put a huge amount of heart into the work. It's a marathon, and the international community should show understanding and solidarity with our neighbours. We must remember that the citizens of Ukraine today are actually also fighting for the freedom of other European nations” said Rulkiewicz.
Bupa is funding this support package and LUX MED will continue to provide services until they are no longer needed.
Read real stories of Ukrainian refugees who have been helped to safety and to start new lives.
