Médecins Sans Frontières - ENG Nadiia portrait WEBCLIP

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF359652

Date taken / Date Recorded 03/03/2026 11:43 AM

Country Ukraine

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) Advertising Campaign, External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m5s

Maximum Size 1080px × 1920px 295.22 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Nadiia Tokar, a paramedic
I work as a paramedic at Médecins Sans Frontières in one of the hospitals near the front line in southern Ukraine. My rotation starts on Monday and ends on Monday after two weeks. I stay away from home for 14 days.
I live and work in a hospital. Sometimes I have night shifts. My colleague, Hanna, an emergency doctor, and I are the first to meet patients. Our patients are often in critical condition. Sometimes people don’t realise how serious their condition is, that they require immediate assistance and hospitalization.
I check for blood pressure, oxygen saturation, various tests as prescribed by a doctor, and electrocardiograms. I do these checks every day when we receive patients. Human connection is essential to my work. I listen to people. What happened? Why and where does it hurt? I often see anxiety in patients’ eyes. They wonder: what is my diagnosis, will I be hospitalised? I always try to remain calm and friendly. To be sure that they know we are here to help!
During these two weeks that we live in the hospital, our team is a family. We sleep, eat and work in the same space. It's a warm feeling. We understand each other without having to speak. We share family problems, cook together, feed local cats and dogs living near the hospital. If you add it up, over the last three years of work in MSF, me and Hanna spent a year and a half together. Is that too much or too little? I can see that we are needed here. That's enough. My time is worth it.