Volodymyr Veremchuk (doctor, Klevan, Rivne region)
Hello! My name is Volodymyr Veremchuk, doctor and head of the infection control department at the Rivne Regional Veterans’ Hospital. In August 2025, I had the opportunity to take part in the “Pain control” training organised by HUSOME for doctors. A month later, I can assess the impact of this training on my work, and I strongly recommend it to my colleagues.
Work at our hospital is very intense, with limited resources and heavy emotional involvement: we receive many military patients with injuries requiring appropriate analgesia, as our facility is a key stage in the evacuation of patients, despite being relatively far from the front line. Our hospital also continues to care for the local population, which further increases the workload for staff.
Content and methods of the course: thanks to a structured, concise theoretical part, I understood the basic principles of pain assessment, the tools available to measure it, and the mechanisms by which pain arises and develops. I also absorbed the principles of pain treatment and control.
The practical part allowed us to apply this knowledge through the analysis of clinical cases and real situations. I particularly appreciated the examples drawn from the instructors’ own practice, which help adapt theoretical knowledge to contemporary Ukrainian medicine. I am grateful for the clear, structured schemes for managing acute pain, the detailed analysis of possible side effects and drug reactions, and the presentation of regional anaesthesia methods.
Today, I can say that the lessons of the course have been very useful to me: clear pain assessment using the VAS scale makes analgesia more objective and avoids relying solely on one’s own perceptions. The WHO analgesic ladder is now used systematically, because we follow a structured scheme and know exactly which medicines to prescribe. The psychological aspect of analgesia has become a key part of our practice: I understood the importance of the psycho-emotional component of pain and learned to manage it effectively.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best courses I have taken: it gave us effective tools, protocols and knowledge, while also offering a real chance to recharge. I sincerely thank the organisers and strongly recommend this training to all my colleagues!
