28 October - 8 November, Kharkiv and Khmelnytsky regional perinatal centers hosted the training seminars on "Perinatal health care in complicated cases".

Medical professionals of Kharkiv, Lugansk, Khmelnytsky and Rivne regional perinatal centers in cooperation with Lithuanian guest experts practiced their knowledge and skills of perinatal health care in complicated cases during the pregnancy, childbirth and/or nursing of newborns with insufficient birth weight or birth disorders.

The workshop was organized under the auspices of UNFPA Office in Ukraine.

In 2013, Ministry of Health of Ukraine gives special attention to implementation of the National Project "New Life. New quality of motherhood and childhood" and particularly encourages the efforts to organize training workshops for medical professionals - doctors and nurses. Following its commitments and supporting its national partners with regard to this important sphere, UNFPA Office in Ukraine provided financial and organizational support to this initiative and invited Dr. Hulmius Shupshinskas, Dr. Adrius Machulevichus and midwife Danhule Kachkauskine of the Kaunas Perinatal Center (Lithuania) to present its work experience and practices to Ukrainian colleagues.

The goal of these trainings was to increase the practical skills and experience of doctors and nurses working as a team in specific situations related to the complications cases during pregnancy, childbirth and nursing of newborns with insufficient birth weight or birth disorders.

Every day, during the training workshops, the experts participated in the practical sessions held in the offices of the perinatal centers during which Ukrainian specialists had opportunity to analyze the clinical cases that occurred earlier in their practice.

The role of international experts was not restricted to the traditional lectures or seminars, but rather to the professional peer-to-peer discussions with Ukrainian colleagues about specific clinical situations, identifying positive approaches and possible gaps in practices as well as future developments aimed at improving the quality of medical services for mothers and newborns in the regional and local perinatal centers.