Implementation of a New Model of Patronage Visits in Lviv Region
We are changing the approach to caring for the youngest residents of our region: we are implementing a new model of patronage visits in Lviv Region.
Benefits of Patronage Visits
This is not just about health. It’s about attention. About trust. About the opportunity for parents to talk to specialists and the confidence that they will be heard. Because during a regular appointment there are often just 15 minutes, while during a home visit – from an hour to an hour and a half.
The nurse doesn’t just examine the child. She takes a broader view: how the parents feel, whether the home is safely equipped, whether everything is fine with the family’s psychosocial state. If needed, additional services are involved. Because care is not just about physical health.
Real Examples and Support
I attended one of these visits to the Konovsky family, who live in the village of Khlopchytsi, Sambir District. Evelina is a very bright child, who will soon turn two. It was evident: her parents really want her to grow up healthy and happy, and for this, it is important for them to feel support from the medical professionals. And they received it — sincerely, without haste, with attention to detail.
Such visits in our region are conducted within the framework of the ‘Care from Birth at Home’ program by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and UNICEF Ukraine.
130 medical workers from Lviv Region have already completed the relevant training. UNICEF, with its partners, has created 12 training centers for this purpose and plans to open more!
Thanks to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, UNICEF, and the head of the Lviv Regional Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund, Ninke Voppen, for this initiative. At a time when there is so much pain around, it is very important to know that every day there are more qualified professionals who care about the health of Ukrainian children.