Aid transport from 26 to 31 March 2022
The central hospital in Lviv/Lemberg and the central hospital in Winnyzjia 400 km east of Lviv were visited. The transport was personally accompanied by Dr. Ralf-Peter Oelsner (Head of LHU e.V.) in order to ensure a correct handover of the relief supplies, to get a personal overview of the current situation and supply situation, to find suitable cooperation partners for a meaningful and effective collaboration and to determine the compilation of the most important relief supplies for further relief transports in the near future.
For this purpose, discussions were held with the responsible clinic directors and doctors as well as the operational management of the volunteers in refugee care.
The supply situation in Lviv seems to be sufficiently secure at the moment, as many relief supplies arrive here due to the proximity to the Polish border and the still safe transport routes.
In the central hospital of Vinnytsia (approx. 400 km east of Lviv, 400,000 inhabitants, maximum care hospital, 800 beds in total), medical care is currently being provided for the population and, in the meantime, up to 15,000 refugees from the fighting areas, including injured civilians. In the meantime, up to 15,000 refugees from the combat zones, including injured civilians, are being cared for. One focus is the secondary wound care of injuries including gunshot wounds after primary care in the combat zone.
The equipment and professional qualification of the Central Hospital as a university teaching hospital is at a high level, but is only of limited use in the absence of medicines and medical supplies. However, the lack of medicines and medical supplies has only a limited effect. Here, the most urgent need was formulated for supplies of medicines and materials for wound care.
A list of requirements for medicines and medical supplies (sutures, dressings, disinfectants, etc.) developed with the specialist departments of Lüneburg Hospital was optimised in translated form with the responsible colleagues and directors in terms of need and applicability. Prioritisation into the urgency categories A – D took place. There was great gratitude everywhere for the possible support offered and there was a great desire for cooperation and future collaboration.
Results
Medical care in Lviv seems to be guaranteed at the moment due to the large number of aid deliveries arriving daily, and also in the near future due to the proximity of the border and the safety of the transport routes. Dementsprechend hielt sich das Interesse an Unterstützung auch in Grenzen
The hospital in Vinnytsia seems particularly suitable for future support and partnership:
- Due to its geographical proximity to contested Ukrainian areas, it represents an important building block in the secondary care of injured refugees. Necessary medicines, anaesthetics and bandages etc. are also transported from here to the first aid points in the combat zone.
- With its high-quality equipment and expertise, the hospital in Vinnytsia seems particularly well suited for a cooperation concept. The only things missing are the necessary medicines and medical supplies. The only thing missing are the necessary medicines and medical supplies to make full use of the available capacities.
- The willingness and desire for future cooperation and permanent support is very high. The management structures are transparent and inspire trust.
- The mayor of Vinnytsia is to be involved in further cooperation.
- The transport routes via Lviv seem to be safe, the road conditions on the route I used are also sufficient for larger trucks (“40-tonne”, 23-tonne payload).
- The transport route and the hospital in Vinnytsia are militarily secured by the Ukrainian army. There are no strategically important targets in the vicinity, so in terms of the likelihood of air attacks, I rate the danger as low.
All conditions of the concept for a “partnership” that we developed on the basis of previous experience thus seem to be fulfilled. The structures and work processes as well as the focus of care appear to be sufficiently transparent. The colleagues are very interested in long-term support and cooperation and appear to be reliable partners for a trusting collaboration. Communication in English is possible without any problems.
Future cooperation with the hospital and the city of Vinnytsia was therefore agreed upon, as well as the needs for the next transport, which is planned for the 2nd week of April.
I will personally accompany the transport again, if possible, in order to further develop a needs-based and trusting future cooperation.
