Nataliya Kovalchuk, Clinical Professor at Stanford Radiation Oncology, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Ending the year on a high note — with deep gratitude to the Swedish Ministry of Health and Swecare.
It was an honor for Help Ukraine Group (HUG) to participate in the meeting hosted by the Swedish Ministry of Health and organized by SweCare. Our sincere appreciation goes to the Government of Sweden and SweCare for your exceptional leadership and unwavering support of Ukraine during wartime.
Despite the war, Ukrainian centers are rapidly transitioning to modern linear accelerator–based care. The Ministry of Health has already procured 21 Elekta LINACs, creating an urgent need for large-scale national training.
In response, Help Ukraine Group (HUG), Rayos Contra Cancer – RCC, Södersjukhuset, Akademiska sjukhuset and international professional societies — American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), American Brachytherapy Society — together with the support of SweCare and the Swedish Government, launched a nationwide radiotherapy education and capacity-building initiative.
What this collaboration and Sweden’s support made possible:
- On-site hands-on training in Ukraine
- 23 practical workshops – 124 participants trained (ROs, MPs, RTTs)
- Observerships in Sweden – 12 Ukrainian clinicians hosted at Swedish hospitals
- Virtual education – 6 multi-week virtual courses led by global experts educating 777 participants
- Radiotherapy Conference within OncoHub UpToDate 6.0 – 163 participants across RO/MP/RTT disciplines
Total reach:
1,079 total participations, 458 unique trainees — representing 67% of Ukraine’s entire RT workforce across 39 radiotherapy centers.
This model rapidly strengthened clinical capacity despite active wartime constraints — and Sweden’s support was essential in making it possible.
Increased Impact on clinical practice
Knowledge Gains:
+47% improvement in virtual course test scores
+30% improvement in hands-on workshop assessments
Participant Satisfaction: 9.8–10.0 / 10
Clinical Improvements:
- Adoption of new modern radiotherapy procedures
- Strengthened workforce readiness for LINAC-based care — an essential component of European-aligned cancer care modernization.
This progress would have been possible without all the amazing partners and Swedish support.
Your support has helped Ukraine build a safer, stronger, and more resilient radiation oncology system during one of the most challenging periods in our nation’s history.
On behalf of the entire Ukrainian radiotherapy community: Tack så mycket!
Thank you for standing with us, investing in people, and helping modernize cancer care when patients need it most.”
More posts featuring Nataliya Kovalchuk on OncoDaily.
