KYIV – During an event celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Ukraine on January 27, the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine, together with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the international charitable foundation Caritas Ukraine transferred 10 ambulances donated from Canada to medical institutions of different regions of Ukraine.
The project “Ambulances for Ukraine” was initiated by the Saskatchewan-Ukraine Relations Advisory Committee (SURAC) and now, given its national scope, is led by the UCC Ukraine Appeal in partnership with Paramedic Chiefs of Canada, in response to the critical need for high-tech medical ambulances created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
“The ambulances were donated from across Canada, from Quebec to Alberta, and prepared for use in Ukraine with the support of industry partners. Hundreds of people from civil society, and the provincial and federal governments, participated in this project,” stated Roman Waschuk, Canada’s ambassador to Ukraine. “The ambulances will be sent to hospitals from Luhansk Oblast to Chernivtsi – east to west across Ukraine. This is a gift from all of Canada – to all of Ukraine.”
“On behalf of the UCC Ukraine Appeal, I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the volunteers, partners, sponsors and donors who made today’s handover possible,” stated John Holuk, chair of the UCC Ukraine Appeal. “These ambulances will serve a critical need. The Ukrainian Canadian community will always stand together with the people of Ukraine.”
The handover on January 28 was the second phase of the project. In the first phase, four equipped ambulances were provided to military hospitals in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Vinnytsia in September 2015.
The second phase of the project focuses on emergency aid to the civilian population. Ambulance services from across Canada donated 10 ambulances that will serve critical medical needs in three areas:
• Mobile clinics – Four ambulances will be provided to district hospitals in Kharkiv region in the cities of Pervomaisk, Valkiv, Blyzniuky and Barvinkove, where a project to provide basic medical care to the most vulnerable populations through mobile medical teams will be implemented. The new ambulances will significantly expand the scope of providing health care to up to 40,000 people every year who find themselves in difficult circumstances, especially internally displaced people who were forced to leave their homes.
• Emergency and Disaster Medicine Department Luhansk Oblast – Due to Russia’s aggression in eastern Ukraine, the number of ambulances available for emergency services in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts was dramatically reduced. Three ambulances equipped with additional emergency equipment will be posted in Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast.
• Hospitals – Three ambulances will go to Ternopil, Chernivtsi and Kharkiv, with each hospital focused on delivering improved care to their communities and saving lives. In Ternopil, the hospital will focus on providing specialized care for women with life-threatening pregnancies and infant care for the entire oblast. In Kharkiv, the hospital provides critical heart surgery for infants from the entire eastern region. In Chernivtsi, the hospital is expanding the area of responsibility to provide care. The timely availability of patient transport is a critical component of life-saving care.
Financial support for the project was provided by the government of Canada, and provincial governments of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The ambulances were transferred to Ukraine through Canada Ukraine Foundation.
Organizations including the Children of Chornobyl Canadian Fund, Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba and Saskatchewan provincial councils, League of Ukrainian Canadians and Cosbild helped fund the transportation of the ambulances to Ukraine, while major industry partners in Canada, including Crestline Coach Inc., Ferno Canada and Demers Ambulances, worked on preparing and equipping the ambulances for service. Roy Foss and Jubilee Ford in Canada provided spare parts for maintenance and repair to help ensure reliable operation. Ambulance services from across Canada contributed trauma supplies and medical equipment for the ambulances.
Partners in Ukraine, including Avtologistika, transported the ambulances to Kyiv and in cooperation with DAF completed critical final ambulance preparations for certification, registration and handover of the ambulances to recipients.
This humanitarian aid was transferred from Canada by the Canada Ukraine Foundation to Ukraine through Caritas Ukraine, which completed customs clearance, certification and passed state registration prior to handing over the ambulances to the recipients.