Contestant of the regional competition "Young Person of the Year – 2025" in the "On Guard for Life" category Maryna Zarytska
My name is Maryna Zarytska, and I was born in 1992 in the city of Kramatorsk. My journey into medicine began at Kramatorsk School No. 30, and I continued my education at Bakhmut Medical Professional College, where I specialized in nursing.
From 2012 to 2014, I worked as a massage nurse at City Hospital No. 2, but the desire for professional growth prompted me to enroll at Donetsk National Medical University, where from 2014 to 2020 I studied medicine.
From 2020 to 2022, I completed an internship with a specialization in "general practice physician – family doctor" at Donetsk National Medical University and at the Communal Non-profit Enterprise "Center for Primary Health Care No. 1" in Kramatorsk. It was during this period, in 2022, that the full-scale invasion began. It was difficult for me to stabilize my mental health and get enough practical knowledge, as medicine requires not only theory but also practice. However, despite all the difficulties, I was able to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.
Since 2022, I have been working as a general practice physician – family doctor at the Communal Non-profit Enterprise "Center for Primary Health Care No. 1." Working in frontline Kramatorsk, I continuously supplement my knowledge and skills through training and conferences. In 2023, I specialized in "Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine," after which I began working part-time. In 2024, I completed courses in ultrasound diagnostics using the FAST protocol, which helps me in my work. My specialization in rehabilitation medicine is especially important, as it helps people recover from injuries and return to a full life in a city affected by the war.
Throughout 2024-2025, I worked in a mobile team that provided assistance from donor organizations CARE, "Healthy Solutions," and MEDEVAC. Our team traveled dozens of kilometers every day to reach elderly, low-mobility, lonely, or seriously ill patients in the most remote areas of the Kramatorsk community in time. We worked in places where there had been no pharmacies for a long time, and transport was a rarity. For people, our presence was not just a visit, but a source of support and confidence that they were not abandoned. This daily work is more than medicine; it is humanity.
My work in Kramatorsk is not just a professional activity but a part of my life. When the full-scale war began in 2022, I, like many others, felt its challenges. However, it was then that I realized that my mission was to stay here to support people. Each trip to remote areas, each visit to elderly or low-mobility patients as part of the mobile team, reaffirmed this. I believe that my daily work, my knowledge, and my desire to help are the contributions we all make to our common victory and the future of Ukraine. With faith in the future and the victory of Ukraine, I continue to work in the frontline city of Kramatorsk.