In Norway, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited Ullevål Hospital, which is part of Oslo University Hospital – the largest medical institution in Norway. The hospital performs around 1.2 million medical procedures each year.
The President’s wife met with a Ukrainian warrior who is receiving treatment at the facility under the medical evacuation (Medevac) program. More than 450 Ukrainians have been brought to Norway for treatment within this initiative.
In her meeting with Norway’s Minister of Health and Care Services, Jan Christian Vestre, the First Lady expressed gratitude for the medical assistance provided to Ukrainians.
Olena Zelenska noted that Ukraine had received from Norway five unique medical evacuation buses designed to transport critically ill patients. Each year, these vehicles carry an average of 1,500 people.
“All patients receiving treatment in Norwegian clinics express their sincere gratitude for the high-quality care, including surgical procedures, orthopedic support, neurorehabilitation, and other specialized services. We deeply appreciate this assistance and will always remember it,” said the First Lady.
The President’s wife also stressed that, beyond large-scale intergovernmental agreements, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health is actively developing the international medical partnership project launched during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. Within this initiative, cooperation continues between the Norwegian rehabilitation hospital Sunnaas, the Rivne Regional Veterans’ Hospital, and Chernihiv City Hospital No. 4.
Olena Zelenska expressed her hope that partnerships between Ukrainian and Norwegian clinics will continue to expand.
The First Lady, together with the Olena Zelenska Foundation team, also visited one of the Headspace youth mental health centers in Oslo.
Special attention was given to psychosocial support practices for young people and to sharing expertise with partners who have been developing a comprehensive mental health support system for adolescents and youth for many years.
The experience of Headspace will be instrumental in building the “12–21” youth psychosocial support spaces being established in five pilot regions of Ukraine by the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
“The challenging period of adolescence for Ukrainian teenagers is compounded by the conditions of war. That’s why we do not copy ready-made foreign solutions but create our own model, adapted to the Ukrainian experience, our culture, and the realities in which young people live. Every young person should have a space where they feel trust and safety,” said Olena Zelenska.