According to Ukrinform, the award was conferred by Presidential Decree No. 639/2026 of July 24, published on the official website of the President of Ukraine.

"For outstanding achievements in the development of Ukraine's healthcare system, personal contribution to the implementation of advanced treatment methods under martial law, and many years of dedicated service, I hereby decree: to confer the title of Hero of Ukraine, with the award of the Order of the Gold Star, upon Serhii Anatoliiovych Ryzhenko, Director General of the I.I. Mechnykov Dnipropetrovsk Regional Clinical Hospital, a municipal enterprise of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council," the decree states.

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As reported by Ukrinform, Ryzhenko is a Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, and Honored Doctor of Ukraine. He has served as the head of the Mechnykov Regional Clinical Hospital in Dnipro, one of the country's leading medical centers for treating wounded service members and civilians since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.