Around 150 doctors from Ukraine are already working in Lithuanian medical institutions. Most of them are employed as general nurses, dentists and family doctors. Some hospital managers say they could accept even more.
Olexandr Voloshyn, who works as a family doctor at Kaunas City Polyclinic, comes from Luhansk Oblast. Most of his patients in Lithuania are his compatriots.
“The work is a bit different than in Ukraine, but the differences are small. Everything is similar, but the system and the language are different. People are sick everywhere and the diseases are the same,” he tells LRT TV.
Šiauliai Central Polyclinic employs two nursing assistants from Ukraine. One of them is Yulia Khodos who worked as a nurse in Ukraine in a private clinic. In Lithuania, she plans to work as a nurse as well, once she has all her certification in order.
“I speak a little Lithuanian, I can say to patients ‘give me your hand, make a fist, let go of your fist, the doctor will have your result tomorrow or the day after tomorrow’. Adapting is a bit difficult. Another country, another language, not all people understand my situation, but my colleagues help me in English, Lithuanian, and Russian,” she says.
The head of the polyclinic says Ukrainian workers are receptive and hard-working, and the language is the biggest problem so far.
“We would welcome family doctors, we would welcome various specialists, of course, who have documents and can work in Lithuania, and of course, we would welcome nurses, because we really need them,” says Mindaugas Maželis, director of Šiauliai Central Polyclinic.
Eleven Ukrainians work at Klaipėda University Hospital, including three doctors – a neonatologist, a gynaecologist, and a medical biologist.
“We have a neonatologist who works very well, has 12 years of experience, has quickly grasped the specifics of our work, technologies, and most interestingly, she not only speaks Lithuanian, but also writes in Lithuanian,” says Vinsas Janušonis, the chief physician of Klaipėda University Hospital.
He adds that there is a shortage of obstetricians, gynaecologists and neonatologists, and more doctors from Ukraine could be employed.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in late February, around 150 medical professionals from the country have received licenses from Lithuania’s authorities. At the moment, there are no more Ukrainian medics applying to have their qualifications recognised.
“Some institutions are already waiting for more people and say that we have already prepared jobs and so on. For example, the municipality of Švenčionys is very keen on foreign-speaking medics, because there is such a large [Russian-speaking] population there, and they are very keen to welcome family doctors, internal medicine doctors, nurses,” says Nora Ribokienė, director of the Accreditation Service.
Most of the medics who have applied to have their qualifications recognized in Lithuania are general nurses, dentists, and family doctors.
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