Festive cheer as milestone figure outstripped by organisation supporting Ukraine frontline medics
£1.7M of lifesaving supplies and medical training now delivered to the war torn country
Devon-based initiative Medics4Ukraine which sends regular supply convoys to Ukraine is ending the year in positive spirits after the value of its support surpassed its £1.5M target.
It’s now over 300 days since the conflict began and around 265 days since the first convoy left in April on its mission to deliver specialist medical kit and experienced medical personnel to train local medics on the frontline.
Medics4Ukraine was co-founded by Mark Hannaford from Beer, also the founder of remote medical training provider World Extreme Medicine and his Manchester-based colleague, Advanced Paramedic Luca Alfatti who is also Head of Operations for Medics4Ukraine.
With eight convoys having already completed successful missions and the ninth due to set out mid-January, the value of the medical supplies and training - which has been delivered to nearly 400 Ukrainian medics - has reached £1.7M.
Mark, who was so moved by the terrible events of March 2021 that he felt driven to provide help, says “We had hoped to reach one and half million before Christmas but we realised we’d gone way over this with our last convoy of 2022.
“It’s an incredible figure, which represents a huge amount of generosity from so many people and organisations.”
To put the value in context, supplies delivered to Ukraine by Medics4Ukraine to date include:
- 120 trauma boxes
- 1200 individual first aid kits
- 12 defibrillators
- 200 tourniquets
- 24,000 BVM ventilation apparatus
- 1,600,000 needles
- 18 generators
- 6,600 high calorie food packs
- 1 video bronchoscopy system
Co-founder Luca Alfatti adds “There’s also the support of individuals to be factored in. So far 72 volunteers from the UK, Europe and Ukraine have given freely of their time, plus 8 combat casualty care trainers who took part in 5 training missions.”
“We’ve had plenty of support from in-country too. With the last convoy medical students in the Ivano-Frankisv region of Western Ukraine rallied round to put together individual first aid kits, whilst the 81st Separate Aeromobile Brigade took a vanload of supplies on to the frontline city of Bakhmut.”
Between them, the convoys have driven 35,450km to reach Ukraine, plus additional mileage driving within the country to make deliveries.
Alongside medical supplies the convoys now also carry donations of other items that are particularly welcomed by Ukrainians struggling with harsh winter conditions. Head lamps are used for operations and first aid during power cuts, with sleeping bags, thick socks and woolly hats crucial to keep patients warm.
“We have been approaching relevant companies to see if they have surplus stock, old stock or seconds that they can donate,” says Luca. “So if anyone can help, please get in touch.”
While World Extreme Medicine underwrites the costs of the convoy, with medical and other supplies are either paid for from fundraising or donated, with the war set to continue for the foreseeable future Medics4Ukraine and similar initiatives will rely even more on regular levels of support, with corporate and philanthropic sponsorship being top of the wish list.
Mark believes that although the length of time the war has gone on and the constant drip feed of news can create a sense of apathy amongst the public, there are many who still continue to be shocked by events in Ukraine and Russia’s indefensible aggression.
“It can be all too easy to forget the reality of life under these conditions when it becomes part of the daily soundtrack, and we’re diverted by other issues like the cost of living crisis. But then you catch a news story and see the spirit of resistance and the doggedness of Ukrainian people, and you wonder how you would feel it this was your country.”
To watch a video about the initiative recorded at the World Extreme Medicine annual conference click here
