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Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, or “Dr. K” as he’s known to colleagues and patients, has not slowed down since he rotated off the ASIA Board as President in May 2022. In addition to his work as Professor of Rehabilitation Research for ICORD, Krassioukov has been busy helping SCI Professionals and Patients in Ukraine.
In September of 2022, Dr. Krassioukov applied for a position of an expert/consultant in SCI with the World Health Organization (WHO) to work in Ukraine sharing his expertise in SCI and rehabilitation and training medical professionals to advance rehabilitation. In this dramatic time in Ukraine and having over 30 years of experience in the field, Dr. Krassioukov felt that his knowledge and expertise in SCI rehabilitation are important and crucial for many Ukrainians – “as a physician, I answer the call in the time when people in Ukraine are suffering”.
Krassioukov brings an understanding of the importance of international standard classification and assessment tools related to SCI, such as ISNCSCI and ISAFSCI. Dr. Krassioukov stated that these international clinical tools are fundamental for the clinical management of individuals with SCI and should be learned and implemented by health professionals around the world. The goal of the WHO rehabilitation team that Dr. Krassioukov is part of, is to bring this knowledge and help implement the clinical practice of ISNCSCI and ISAFSCI by Ukrainian colleagues.
National SCI Rehabilitation Center in Rivne Oblast – the only one of its kind – is in the region of Rivne, Ukraine, an area Krassioukov said is slightly removed from the war area, but no less affected. The center sees patients affected by multi-trauma injuries of war, many of which are accompanied by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Krassioukov said he’s never seen such horrific, multi-trauma injuries. “The multi-trauma is one of the most challenging issues Ukrainian physicians and our rehabilitation team had to deal with,” Krassioukov said. “The war results in a much worse injury.” Dr. Krassioukov said he’s dealt with traumatic injuries and PTSD in his practice, but nothing compared to what he’s seen in these young individuals. Uncertainty about a destination after discharge has a negative impact on the rehabilitation of patients. “WHO Rehabilitation team works with Ukrainian colleagues, we manage acute injuries, we develop goals for in-patient rehabilitation. Many of these young men don’t have homes, as their homes were destroyed during the war.”
In January 2023, the Rivne center was named a national spinal cord injury rehabilitation center by President Zelenskiy and the Minister of Health in Ukraine. The Center was founded on the basis of a well-established hospital for veterans. This center has a strong medical team. Dr. K joined the interdisciplinary WHO team of physicians, occupational therapists, a physiotherapist, a nurse, and a psychologist from Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Australia. While Krassioukov is proud of the work WHO is doing in Ukraine mostly he is in awe of the resilient nature of the Ukrainians not only in the rehabilitation center but as a nation. “They continue to go to work, they continue to go to restaurants and theaters, they will go to coffee shops,” Dr. Krassioukov said, “I feel they want to continue to live normal lives. It’s one of the most incredible parts, the resilience of the Ukrainian people is amazing.” “When you hear a similar person of the same age has sustained the same injuries, they can share experience, they can look to each other and that’s what’s very exciting to see”.
Dr. K, his team of physicians, and experts will continue to carry out WHO’s vision to create a standard and hub for education in other centers and sites in dealing with spinal cord injury in Ukraine. The team will return to Ukraine in March 2023. “We’re involved in education,” Krassioukov said. “So, by the time we leave, we leave something tangible in their hands.”
