UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Aug. 20 — Kharkiv Military Hospital has accepted foreign medical student Frederiek Roukens for an internship. She is the first foreign medical intern to train there, Independence Avenue Media reported.

Roukens is a 26 years old alumni from a medical university in the Netherlands. She is visiting Ukraine for the third time. Previously, she came as a volunteer and delivered ambulances for Ukrainian medics.

In 2026, the student came to complete an internship in the anesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care department at the Kharkiv hospital.

“The level of medical care provided and the uniqueness of this care for all of Europe cannot be replicated,” Roukens said.

According to the Independence Avenue Media, during her internship, Roukens observes medical staff treating wounded soldiers, even during air raids. Some patients have multiple injuries, so several surgeons may work on one wounded soldier at the same time.

The student said that she was impressed with the resilience of Ukrainian medics, who work with a large number of severely wounded patients under constant pressure. She had never seen similar combat injuries on such a scale before.

Kharkiv Military Hospital is one of the closest major military medical facilities to the front. Hospital officials say their workload has increased by 350% since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Medics constantly treat wounded soldiers, including those from Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.

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