When the full-scale war broke out in Ukraine, the country’s health care system was suddenly thrown into chaos. Hospitals were destroyed or severely damaged by missile attacks. Medical professionals were forced to flee, relocating to relatively safer areas in the western regions of the country. Millions of civilians became internally displaced. Amid this disruption, doctors in western Ukraine found themselves facing unprecedented challenges, trying to reorganize services and adapt rapidly to the new, unstable reality.

One of the most immediate threats we faced was the interruption of medication supply chains. Many essential drugs, medical equipment, and diagnostic tools had previously been sourced from regions that became active combat zones. Among the most vulnerable patients were those with chronic conditions — especially people with diabetes who relied on uninterrupted insulin therapy to survive.

In the first days of the war, medical teams across our region worked tirelessly to prevent a health catastrophe. With my colleagues, we created a system of resource redistribution, identifying available stock and reallocating insulin between clinics, towns, and shelters. Humanitarian organizations and international donors provided critical support, but the coordination on the ground had to happen in real time and under stress.

We also launched an urgent patient communication initiative. We educated people with diabetes on what to do if they became trapped in bomb shelters without access to food, water, or medication. We explained how to conserve insulin, monitor symptoms, and stay calm. For many, this guidance was life-saving. Patients needed not only medical advice but emotional reassurance and a reminder of their resilience.

Today, supply chains in western Ukraine are more stable, but our health care system remains on high alert. Clinics continue to stockpile essential medications and prepare for new waves of displacement or attacks. This experience showed me, once again, that medicine is not only about treatment — it is about leadership, foresight, and humanity, especially in moments of collapse.

Daryna Bahriy is a physician in Ukraine.