World medical community unites to support Ukrainian doctors
In the thirty years since Ukraine regained its independence, cooperation with the world medical community has deepened as reform the healthcare system was introduced and cooperation strengthened to counter shared global challenges.
This spring, the Ukrainian Medical Association (UMA) was preparing to host international medical organizations in two congresses, the first on antimicrobial resistance in March, and a second on endocrine diseases in April.
On February 24, 2022, those plans instantly changed as the world heard the tragic news about the beginning of combat operations by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Doctors know best what war is. The world and European medical community were the first to respond to the bloody events in Ukraine.
On the second day of the war, colleagues from the World Medical Association (WMA) and the Standing Committee of European Doctors were the first to send an official statement in support of Ukrainian doctors.
With the flow of victims increasing every hour in regions across Ukraine, on 27 February the UMA wrote for humanitarian assistance.
A crucial point was the formation of a list of necessary medicines and medical products. The UMA developed a list to provide medical care to the civilian population, including painkillers, antimicrobial, antiviral, because COVID-19 continues to spread in Ukraine, as well as medical products for surgical interventions, bandages, and antiseptics.
In response, WMA, CPME, and the European Forum of Medical Associations (EFMA) formed the Ukraine Medical Help Fund and disseminated the appeal across the world.
The next step was to determine safe routes for the delivery of goods as Ukraine's airspace was closed during martial law.
The Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists was the first to respond, by providing humanitarian supplies, hosting refugee women and children, and providing medical assistance.
The second important corridor for the delivery of medical supplies was through Slovakia with assistance from the Slovakian Medical Association and the Slovak Medical Chamber.
Humanitarian aid came from all over the world to three Ukrainian cities - Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Uzhhorod.
All humanitarian convoys safely reached the humanitarian hubs of cities in western Ukraine to provide not only medical, but also other humanitarian assistance to victims in Ukraine.
The issue of the delivery of humanitarian cargo through the territory of Ukraine remained unresolved. After all, constant bombardments, the work of sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the centre of Ukraine created a danger for the transportation of peaceful humanitarian cargo to hospitals in Ukraine.
Transportation of humanitarian cargo with medicines through the territory of Ukraine in the conditions of war was dangerous, and had to be carried out orderly. Hubs and contact numbers were created and new logistics chains established for transporting goods to the east of Ukraine to the regions affected by missile bombardment.
The major role in the transportation of humanitarian aid was played by the Red Cross, who received cargo at hubs in the west of Ukraine with subsequent transportation to the north, south and east, where hostilities were going on, and many civilians were injured under the shelling of cruise missiles.
In the meantime, the Ukraine Medical Help Fund has risen to close to €3 million, including two large donations from the Japanese Medical Association.
In addition donations were received from the medical associations of France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Taiwan, Norway, Switzerland and Croatia as well as many other individuals and groups.
Leonid Edelman, President of the WMA in 2018-2019 and Chairman of the Israel Medical Society, acted as the coordinator of the fund, allowing him to collect and deliver the Fund’s first large delivery of humanitarian cargo to Ukraine in late March.
An incalculable number of letters were written and sent out to support Ukrainian doctors and the civilian population of Ukraine.
Thanks to close ties and cooperation in the first days of the war in Ukraine, doctors from all over the world were able to unite to fulfill their professional duties, coordinate their actions and send thousands of tons of humanitarian supplies to Ukraine.
The tragic events in Ukraine have become another important page in the history of medical associations of the world, which demonstrated the unity of all doctors worldwide against war! Ukrainian doctors expressed their sincere gratitude in a letter to medical organizations.
The coordinated work of the medical organisations of the world and Europe once again demonstrated the unity of doctors and their desire to save people's lives.