Patricia Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn, co-founder of the Porcelain Group clinic network, spoke about the company’s operations in the conditions of a full-scale war, and shared her experience not only in solving problems but also in implementing socially significant projects.
LDaily: What is your experience of running a business during a war? What changes have taken place in your company, what difficulties have you faced, and how have you overcome them?
P. Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn: Of course, we did not prepare our business for such a development… With the onset of the full-scale invasion, our company was forced to suspend the work of all three locations for almost two months. Only at the beginning of April 2022 did we gradually begin to resume operations. And immediately faced a number of difficulties. First, we lost quite a large number of patients – many of them left Ukraine. Secondly, employees of our company also left Ukraine, including specialists of various levels and ranks: from auxiliary junior medical staff, technical staff, doctors’ assistants, administrators – to leading doctors and managers.
As for the materials we use in our work, they became much more expensive, their availability became limited, and the delivery terms became very long.
We were forced to significantly reduce our work schedule.
The most difficult period was from November 2022 to mid-February 2023. Due to rocket attacks, which led to problems with electricity supply, our staff worked 1-2 hours a day, often without light, at a temperature of about +13 in the premises.
Sometimes we just couldn’t work. At all! Whole days… We introduced a “day-by-day” work planning mode, later “week-by-week”.
Throughout 2022, the company’s workload averaged 30%.
Later, we purchased generators that were able to ensure continuous work in our company. Since then, this has been a huge advantage.
I want to separately touch on the staff. They are the most valuable asset of our company. Most employees have been working with us for over 10-15 years. And there are those who have been with Porcelain since its opening, that is, 27 years!
Therefore, one of the most important tasks of this period for us is to preserve the team. Support and motivate those who are working now, as well as constantly keep in touch with those employees who are currently temporarily residing in various European countries and plan to return to Ukraine.
During this time, our company’s structure has somewhat changed due to the outflow of professionals. This mostly affects the management apparatus – managers. So, we’ve redistributed their responsibilities among other team members.
The conditions in which we worked and continue to work have affected the company’s assets, which have decreased by 60%.
Currently, we’re focusing particularly on the medical aspect of our work, as well as patient service.
Planning has become short-term – 1-3 months.
LDaily: How difficult is it to attract new clients during the war?
P. Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn: Of course, it’s very difficult. Mechanisms for attracting patients through regular resources (the internet, social networks, etc.) are not working as effectively as before. The sharpest decrease occurred during the period from November 2022 to January 2023. Frankly, we had no new patients at all… A large number of potential patients left Ukraine, predominantly women and children. Due to reduced income, people opted for clinics in the cheaper segment, even despite a lower level of quality and service. The contingent of primary (new) patients also changed: a certain number of internally displaced persons from temporarily occupied territories appeared, who moved to Kyiv and the Kyiv region. Due to the war, the number of foreign patients, which in peacetime amounted to up to 15% of the total number of patients per month, critically decreased.
LDaily: Do you feel a shortage of qualified doctors, considering that an active mobilization campaign is underway in Ukraine?
P. Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn: Yes, of course. This applies to virtually all areas of medicine in which we work. There is a certain lack of doctors due to the conscription campaign, and some professionals joined the Armed Forces of their own accord.
The mobilization activity also affected our company. Currently, one of our full-time highly qualified specialists is serving in the Armed Forces. This somewhat changed the possibility of providing appropriate professional services to our patients, so we are adjusting schedules, putting additional workload on other full-time specialists.
LDaily: You founded a Foundation. Please tell us about it: what is its purpose and direction of activity?
P. Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn: In the first three months of the full-scale invasion, I joined forces with my husband and raised funds to solve the urgent internal humanitarian needs of our civilian and military population. Given the huge number of internally displaced persons (IDPs), we saw a rapidly growing housing crisis and decided to create a Charity Fund in Ukraine – www.MoveUkraine.org. Its goal is to provide at least temporary, but decent housing for these people.
From August to December 2022, we renovated buildings in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv regions to accommodate 450 IDPs. In 2023, we plan to accommodate 1,500 IDPs in communities that offer support for social, educational, and economic integration. The Porcelain Group collaborates with MoveUkraine to support dental care for the displaced population. MoveUkraine is also developing social housing projects as part of the reconstruction.
LDaily: In your opinion, what awaits Ukraine after the end of the war? How is your company preparing for possible changes in the country’s economic and political climate?
P. Shmorhun-Havrylyshyn: When the war ends, we will dive completely into reconstruction. I foresee a massive influx of people and funds from Europe, Great Britain, and North America, not only to rebuild destroyed towns and villages and their infrastructure but also to invest in all business sectors. There will be an incredibly active exchange of experience and technological know-how to create modern, eco-friendly urban and rural communities. Large corporations will invest heavily and create jobs, while small and medium business startups will grow and expand.
The Porcelain Group will take on the servicing of foreign patients if such a need arises, and will provide the highest quality services.
