April 7-10: OA/GHA companies from the healthcare sector accompany State Secretary Johann Saathoff to meetings in Lviv and Kyiv
Four years after the start of the comprehensive Russian invasion, it remains rare for a large German business delegation to travel to Ukraine. The few delegations that have visited so far have focused primarily on defense and energy. State Secretary Johann Saathoff is responsible for the fact that more than a dozen representatives of German companies and institutions, primarily from the healthcare sector, are now able to participate in a series of meetings in Lviv, western Ukraine, and the capital, Kyiv, benefiting from the organization of the trip by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the German Embassy in Kyiv.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development thus put the "Team Germany" concept into practice in an exemplary manner: Sustainable reconstruction in Ukraine requires close cooperation between politics and business. Germany, in turn, acts most effectively when it closely coordinates its aid offers and investments with other partner countries and Ukrainian authorities.
But it is not only Ukraine that benefits from this team approach: Knowledge transfer is increasingly flowing in the opposite direction: In Ukraine, it is possible to (re)learn how processes can be accelerated, which technology is truly effective under wartime conditions, how to manage efficiently with little money, how IT systems can be protected from cyberattacks, and how disaster relief should be reorganized in Germany as well.
The Unbroken Rehabilitation Center in Lviv (Lemberg) is an outstanding example of what is possible when governments, municipalities, and the private sector work together in a spirit of trust. From a Soviet-era, and consequently outdated, municipal hospital on the outskirts of Lviv, a modern medical cluster of various facilities has emerged in just over two years, now representing the largest and most modern rehabilitation center in Ukraine.
The numerous partner logos at the center's entrance speak volumes: Alongside the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), cities like Freiburg and Würzburg, Vilnius in Lithuania, and Gdansk in Poland are enshrined, as are companies like Grohe and Ikea, and the Swiss Confederation. Siemens Healthineers, itself represented in the delegation, trains aspiring Ukrainian radiologists at the hospital using state-of-the-art analytical equipment – a project in collaboration with GIZ Ukraine and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health within the framework of the BMZ's develoPPP program. And at the Center for Orthopedic Technology – built primarily with German funding – they proudly showcase high-tech prostheses from the German manufacturers Ottobock and AFT.
When the delegation arrives here in the early afternoon from Rzeszow, Poland, and walks through the workshops where arm, leg, hand, and foot prostheses are first modeled using plaster casts and then finished and fitted, the war in the far east of Ukraine suddenly feels very close: 95 percent of the patients are war veterans. Over 900 prostheses were made last year alone.
The oppressive feeling of the terrible price Ukraine is paying in this conflict is compounded by amazement at the capabilities of modern medical technology, which even enables people with complete leg and arm amputations to drive again, as one veteran proudly demonstrates. "Unbroken" is the guiding principle here, as it is throughout Ukraine: War veterans are to be given the opportunity to return to a self-determined and self-reliant life – including mentally.
“Unbroken” has big plans: The delegation will be presented with a brochure about a new surgical procedure, which is to be established as soon as possible and for which partners are being sought. Further facilities are to follow, transforming Lviv into a “Medical Hub” for Eastern Europe. This is also the topic of a networking meeting with Ukrainian companies in the medical sector, taking place this evening in the venerable council chamber of Lviv's city hall.
At the concluding dinner, Deputy Mayor Andriy Moskalenko apologized for his boss, who was visiting soldiers from his city at the front. Like the lunch meeting earlier, the gathering took place in one of the historic townhouses in Lviv's beautiful old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The food was excellent, and everything seemed peaceful again – yet just a few steps away, the delegation had only that afternoon made a last-minute visit to the annex of an old Benedictine monastery, which had been hit by a Russian Shahed drone on March 24th.
Continue to Kyiv
An hour before midnight, and the start of the curfew in Ukraine, the delegation boarded the night train to Kyiv at Lviv's main train station. As a welcome the next morning, they were met with an air raid siren around 8 a.m., which thankfully subsided after an hour and would prove to be the only one during the entire trip.
Kyiv leaves a lasting impression. This vibrant capital city exists in two realities simultaneously: alongside buildings destroyed by missiles, modern new structures are springing up, numerous new businesses are opening, and innovative technologies are developing rapidly. In many sectors, particularly the service industry, the level of service now surpasses many European standards. The adaptability of the people is admirable: air raid sirens are a daily occurrence, but thanks to the Ukrainian air defense system, the worst destruction is prevented. Despite chronic sleep deprivation and constant tension, every morning in Kyiv begins with bustling activity: the streets are full of cars, the metro is packed with people commuting to work and continuing to build their businesses. The resilience and humor of the people are truly impressive.
Furthermore, the capital is now home to many expats who arrived in Ukraine only after the start of the war. GIZ alone employs around 100 international experts in Ukraine, as explained by Country Director Daniel Busche, who is accompanying the delegation. In addition, GIZ has a total of 500 local staff active in the country.
A highlight of the stay in Kyiv was the visit to the Ochmatdyt Children's Hospital. Following a devastating Russian missile attack in the summer of 2024, which resulted in fatalities, the destroyed parts of the hospital have not only been almost completely rebuilt, but have also been expanded with new buildings. GIZ and KfW made a significant contribution to the financing and equipment here as well. Thanks to the support of the BMZ-funded clinical partnership with the Charité Heart Center in Berlin, the hospital's heart center can now perform highly complex operations, including on newborns. Ochmatdyt also demonstrates how international professionalism and international support can achieve great things, even in times of war.
The delegation's program also includes meetings with the Deputy Ministers of Economy and Health, a visit to a prosthetics center, and a luncheon with the Health Solutions Foundation. Businesspeople in Ukraine continue to speak openly about the problem of corruption, which unfortunately remains prevalent. At the same time, however, a new generation of leaders with modern European management approaches is emerging. They represent hope for long-term change.
A reception at the German Embassy, attended by German Ambassador Heiko Thoms and numerous representatives of German companies and organizations with long-term operations in Kyiv, concludes the trip. Afterwards, the delegation boards night train number 92, which crosses the border into Poland near Przemyśl safely shortly after 5 a.m.
Article by Andreas Metz and Kateryna Kyslenko, Eastern Committee of the German Economy