Ukrainian refugees find life-saving care – and a support network – at Moldovan hospital

CHIȘINĂU, The Republic of Moldova – To Alina, the Gheorghe Paladi hospital in the Moldovan capital, Chișinău, has meant many things: Shelter. Survival. And now, solidarity and support.

Last year, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine drove the 24-year-old photographer, pregnant at the time with her second child, from her hometown of Odessa to Chișinău. Following her cross-border journey, in January 2023, Alina went into labour – just over six months into her pregnancy.

After she gave birth, she told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency: “My biggest wish for the New Year is for my baby to breathe – just continue breathing”.

Alina moved into the UNFPA-supported Gheorghe Paladi hospital for three months while her newborn son recovered in the facility’s intensive care unit. “I remember my baby was the size of the palm of my hand,” she said.

During her stay, Alina received postnatal care and saw a psychologist. She also met with other mothers of premature babies, who later formed a support network that continues to this day.

“We are all grateful because no mother lost her newborn at the hospital during our stay there,” Alina said.

Saving lives at their start

More than 116,000 Ukrainian refugees now reside in the Republic of Moldova. To support them and their families, UNFPA has supplied seven perinatal centres and two specialized hospitals with life-saving equipment, including state-of-the-art intensive care units.

“Investments in perinatal care have had an immense impact on maternal and neonatal health,” said Dr. Liviu Sărăteanu, head of the maternity ward at the Gheorghe Paladi hospital. “You cannot save lives without modern equipment; now our units are equipped to handle even the most critical cases.

The stress of war and displacement has increased the risk of premature labour for Ukrainian women. Since the start of the crisis, UNFPA-supported hospitals and health centres have ensured more than 23,000 safe births and helped improve the survival rate of mothers and newborns facing urgent complications.

And crucially, for refugee women like Alina – many of whom were forced to flee Ukraine without their husbands and families, and to face the challenges of new motherhood alone – the care is comprehensive and free.

“Women who arrive at our hospital are often overwhelmed by their recent experiences during the war,” Dr. Sărăteanu told UNFPA in 2023. “It is important to show empathy and patience, and acknowledge the emotional burdens these women carry alongside physical trauma and pain.”

Turning the page

During Alina’s stay at the Gheorghe Paladi hospital last year, she was struggling. Alone in a new country, she was forced to be a pillar of support for her family while facing heartbreaking challenges herself.

“I was the one supporting everyone, ” she said. “My mom, dad and sister always cried when we spoke on the phone. They were stressed because of the war, about their premature grandchild and his health and well-being.”

“I kept asking, ‘When and who will console me?’” she added.

Today, she finds strength and understanding in the support network she formed with fellow mothers at the Gheorghe Paladi hospital. Alina also attends counselling sessions to support and fortify her mental health.

With mothers like Alina in mind, UNFPA has established 32 safe spaces and deployed 11 mobile health teams across Moldova to offer psychosocial care and counselling.

To mothers of newborns in critical condition, she advises, “Prioritize your mental health”.

“Seek psychological care from the very beginning because it is important to stay positive and strong, at least in front of your newborns,” she told UNFPA. “They feel it and need to know that we believe everything will be fine.”