We restored infrastructure of military medicine and adapted it to NATO standards - President visited the 61st military hospital in Mariupol

President Petro Poroshenko visited the 61st military mobile hospital in Mariupol and thanked the doctors for their selfless service during hostilities. "(You - ed.) do the main thing - bring heroes back to life," the Head of State stressed and congratulated those present on the Day of Defender of Ukraine.

"The scale of the work of military doctors is impressive. From the beginning of Russian aggression, I would like to emphasize that more than eleven thousand wounded Ukrainian soldiers received medical assistance at the medical institutions of the Ministry of Defense," the Head of State added. According to the President, while communicating with wounded Ukrainian soldiers, most of them wanted to return to their military units.

"Nearly four thousand military doctors took direct part in the provision of medical care in the combat zone and at the front of the defense. Unfortunately, not all returned from the battlefield - 46 military doctors were killed. We bow our heads to doctors, paramedics, nurses who gave lives, fulfilling their military duty," the Head of State said. The attendees honored memory of the deceased with a minute of silence.

The Head of State reminded that in 2014, the military did not have a basic first-aid kit, not to mention armored vehicles or sanitary aviation for the evacuation of the wounded.

"Today, the personnel of the combat brigades is fully provided with individual medical first-aid kits. Just as with bulletproof vests, assault vests and everything necessary for the protection of the Homeland. We have restored the infrastructure of military medicine. We have not only restored the infrastructure, but also adapt it to NATO standards in accordance with the Law on National Security," the President said.

The Head of State stressed: "First aid to the heroes is provided on the battlefield in the first ten minutes, when efficiency is valued above gold. The medical evacuation of the wounded is carried out by armored sanitary vehicles and the task is set to reach qualified specialists within an hour. Because these are the so-called "platinum minutes" and "golden hours" that save lives".

The Head of State said that last year the first batch of sanitary equipment of the national producer had already arrived in the army. And today, the President handed over to the military doctors 20 modernized sanitary vehicles. According to him, by the end of the year the medical service will receive additional one hundred cars adapted to the operation in severe field conditions.

"However, the main wish is for this system of medical care, created for the worst scenario, not to ever be used in full. So that we will never ever have such losses that the country has experienced in 2014-2015," he said. The President added: "But the main thing in helping our warriors is not only equipment, medicine, hospitals, even well equipped. The main thing in helping our warriors is you, dear doctors. Your light heads and golden hands".

"Thank you, dear doctors, for selflessly fulfilling your professional duty in hostilities. I am convinced that in the future you will decently work as military doctors in the future," Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The President laid flowers to the Memorial to the deceased military doctors and presented awards to the doctors and wounded soldiers. The Head of State also inspected the vehicle provided to the medics.