“The hardest part wasn’t giving birth. The hardest part was having to prove to the authorities, after surgery, that I was entitled to medical care,” says Hanna (name changed).

Hanna is 28 years old. She moved to Poland before the full-scale war began, studied there, speaks Polish fluently, and worked for a local non-governmental organization. When she found out she was pregnant, she expected her life to change in only one way—she was preparing to become a mother.

Shortly after informing her employer about her pregnancy, however, she lost her job.

To ensure she would retain access to free healthcare, Hanna registered with the local Employment Office on the recommendation of consultants. This allowed her to maintain public health insurance throughout her pregnancy.

“I carefully followed every requirement. I regularly submitted medical certificates, kept the Employment Office informed about my pregnancy, and never missed an appointment. The system clearly showed my expected due date and all my medical documentation,” Hanna recalls.

Toward the end of her pregnancy, everything changed.

Two weeks before her expected due date, she was admitted to hospital. She remained under constant medical supervision because her pregnancy required inpatient care.

During that time, she was scheduled to attend a mandatory appointment at the Employment Office.

Obviously, she was physically unable to be there.

“I still don’t understand the logic behind this system. The staff could see my records, they knew how far along I was, and they knew there were only two weeks left until my due date. Isn’t it obvious that a woman at this stage of pregnancy may already be in hospital? Hospitalization during the third trimester is not unusual,” she says.

Because she failed to attend the appointment, Hanna was automatically removed from the Employment Office’s register.

As a result, she also lost her public health insurance.

A few days later, complications arose during labour. Initially, doctors planned a natural birth, but the situation changed rapidly, and an emergency Caesarean section became necessary.

After giving birth, Hanna faced another shock.

Since her health insurance had been terminated, she received a hospital bill covering the costs of surgery, anaesthesia, medications, and medical care.

“At that moment, money wasn’t even on my mind. I had just undergone emergency surgery, and my newborn baby was beside me. Suddenly, I was expected to prove that I had even been entitled to give birth free of charge.”

The hospital showed understanding and agreed to discharge Hanna and her baby without immediate payment, essentially trusting that the issue would be resolved.

However, instead of recovering from major surgery and caring for her newborn, Hanna had to deal with administrative procedures.

She was required to restore her registration with the Employment Office, explain why she had missed the appointment, collect supporting documents, and prove that she had been unable to attend because she had been hospitalized.

“After a Caesarean section, every movement is painful. Instead of resting, I was going from one public office to another, explaining things that should have been obvious and worrying whether I would have to pay for my treatment myself.”

Only later, with the support of the Fundacja HelpNowHUB team, was the situation resolved and the issue of payment for her medical care settled.

In the end, the story concluded without financial loss.

Nevertheless, Hanna believes she was much more fortunate than many other Ukrainian women.

“I speak Polish, I understand how the system works, and I’m not afraid to stand up for my rights. My mother was also there to stay with my baby while I dealt with all the paperwork. But not every woman has that kind of support.”

According to Hanna, this case exposes one of the most serious gaps in the system.

“After giving birth—especially after an emergency Caesarean section—a woman should be recovering and caring for her baby. She shouldn’t have to convince government officials that she really was in hospital and therefore couldn’t attend an appointment. The system should protect people in situations like this, not create additional barriers.”

Hanna’s story demonstrates that even someone who speaks the language, understands how public institutions work, and has family support can still face administrative decisions that jeopardize access to healthcare.

For many Ukrainian women who do not speak Polish, are unfamiliar with administrative procedures, or have no relatives nearby, a similar situation could have far more serious consequences.

That is why timely information, navigation through administrative systems, and individualized support remain essential for people rebuilding their lives in a new country.

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This publication was prepared by Fundacją HelpNow HUB within the framework of the project “From heart to heart” in partnership with Fundacja Step by Step and Fundacja Res Humanae, with financial support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation.