In peaceful regions, a dramatic blood pressure change like 200 over 100 prompts urgent hospital care, yet in Kharkiv after months of conflict, mobile clinics from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) face a different reality. They have reached a region recently recaptured by Ukraine, delivering essential care to residents who endured years of displacement and upheaval.
Many patients here are elderly, often referred to by locals as babushkas. These women survived long months in shelters during the occupation and have been living on scarce rations. Their risk for illnesses rises as age-related conditions compound with stress and interrupted access to medicine. In Kharkiv, health teams describe a surge in medical needs that demand immediate attention, especially where regular hospital care is unavailable or unaffordable at the moment.
Ukrainian patients await treatment at a mobile clinic run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). LINDA NYHOLM/MSF
Limited mobility, hearing difficulties, hypertension, and diabetes feature prominently among patients. Dr. Gino Manciati, head of MSF medical operations, explains that in many contexts these patients would have been hospitalized. Here, hospitalization is not feasible. Untreated hypertension can lead to serious complications, including vision loss, kidney failure, neurological deterioration, and even sudden death. The pressure of wartime stress, combined with a shortage of medical staff and medicines, has driven many conditions toward crisis. The team has also observed organ-related complications such as kidney failure among some patients.
Non-medicated diabetics
The war has disrupted access to diabetes care as medicines run scarce and food shortages challenge dietary control, worsening mobility, vision, and muscle function. One patient named Mary is finding it harder to walk after months with little or no diabetes treatment. Her daughter Tonya describes the situation: they came to the clinic for Mary, who is shaking and in pain. They have no reliable access to diabetes medications, and Tonya’s paralyzed husband is homebound, unable to reach health services easily.
Maria, an elderly Ukrainian woman, and her daughter Tonya meet with Dr. Manciati at a MSF mobile clinic in Ukraine. LINDA NYHOLM/MSF
Dr. Manciati recalls a patient who walked for about half an hour to reach the clinic, a difficult journey for someone with limited mobility. The workers see elderly women often traveling long distances, not only for themselves but for husbands, daughters, or sons who depend on them. Sometimes impractical distances reveal the profound impact of support from the clinic and the broader community.
Psychological wounds
Raisa, 68, from Yakovenkove recalls the morning the war began, the explosions, and the sight of tanks. The memory of that day and the constant shelling left lasting scares. The MSF mobile clinic provides mental health support to help patients manage stress, stabilize blood pressure, and cope with anxiety, acute stress responses, and panic attacks. Raisa describes insomnia and fear that intrude even at night when missiles fly overhead. She says, I still cannot sleep, the sounds haunt me. The psychologist sessions aim to ease these symptoms and support healthier coping mechanisms.
Many patients experience nightmares and flashbacks. While some recover on their own, professional mental health care accelerates healing. MSF doctors and psychologists work in tandem to identify the best paths to support each patient, especially when trauma compounds physical illness.
“I wake up with fear”
Valentina, 70, from Vasylenkova shares how the war has affected her sleep and her health after losing her son to a mine. She describes waking with fear and a sense of loss that seems to define her days. Valentina receives care to improve sleep, while MSF psychologists offer ongoing mental health support. The narrative reflects many elderly visitors who report isolation, abandonment, and a sense that life has lost meaning. MSF mental health leaders note that older women feel their later years have been stolen by the conflict, and they search for a renewed sense of purpose amid loss.
Many older residents with dementia or psychiatric conditions faced evacuation or remained at risk in places that were unsafe. The ongoing displacement has left whole communities vulnerable, with some people living in crowded nursing facilities or staying in homes that lack safe access to medical care. Still, the resilience and inner strength of these communities guide their path toward recovery.
García, MSF mental health head, emphasizes that Ukraine’s babushkas possess quiet resilience. They chose to stay in their towns despite the violence, defending their right to remain. That choice requires enormous courage and continues to shape the way medical teams approach care in conflict zones.
The region’s psychological toll remains high, but the combination of medical support and mental health care provides a holistic approach to healing. MSF teams remain committed to delivering care where it is most needed, adapting to the realities on the ground and guiding patients toward stability and dignity in difficult times.