Ukraine Aid Medical Equipment and Supplies to Ukraine
The aggressive scorched earth strategy of the Russian military during the invasion has extracted a heavy toll on the Ukrainian economy, infrastructure, and population. The targeted attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have created a catastrophic crisis in the Ukrainian healthcare system. Two hundred and fifty hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, fully ten percent of the total number of hospitals in Ukraine. According to the UNHRC, there are 7.1 million internally displaced people and 8 million refugees. In total, 17.6 million people require humanitarian assistance.
Because of the damage to the medical infrastructure, and the number of displaced people, many patients have not been receiving treatment for chronic illnesses, and the number of stress-related diseases is increasing. The incidence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, respiratory and infectious diseases like HIV and tuberculous are all on the rise. War damage and disruption have compounded sanitation issues, the availability of heat in cold weather, the availability of good nutrition, and reduced vaccination rates. It is a perfect storm of a health crisis.
Further, over 12,000 civilians have been injured, plus another 6,500 in Russian-occupied areas. These are low estimates. Over 130,000 Ukrainian defenders have been wounded. With insufficient financial and logistical resources, the healthcare system is caught in a vice of sharply declining medical resources and rapidly increasing demand.
Ukraine Aid resolved to address the crisis. We began by soliciting in-kind donations of medical supplies for shipment to Ukraine. Small amounts from individual donors were topped off by purchases we made from medical supply companies. It soon became clear that this model was financially and logistically inefficient. We needed to leverage our financial resources and in-kind donations to achieve more impact. Appeals to hospitals were mostly unsuccessful, although we did manage some donations from a few hospitals and a medical supply company. The quantity of our shipments began growing. A Ukraine Aid volunteer working at a 25-bed hospital nestled in the Rocky Mountains, helped us break through. This small hospital has made three significant donations. We began measuring our medical shipments in pallets of material and tons of weight. It was a big step.
In January 2023, Ukraine Aid applied to MedWish International, a consolidator of donated medical equipment and supplies. MedWish donates containers of equipment and supplies to organizations like Ukraine Aid, for further distribution. Our application was accepted and in February 2023 we shipped our first 40- foot container with 6.5 tons of supplies valued at $370,000. Another two containers followed. We now have an agreement to ship one container per quarter. Our MedWish containers and our other sources, as of June 30, 2023, have shipped 22+ tons valued at $1,200,000.
While our medical equipment and supplies are donated, Ukraine Aid is responsible for the shipping of the container to Ukraine. It is a torturous route by rail, sea, and road, culminating in a delivery in a war zone. Our costs for shipping have been averaging $7,000 a container. This model has given us significant leverage with our financial resources. A single $1 donation towards shipping results in over $50 worth of medical equipment and supplies delivered to Ukraine!
Help Ukraine win the war, and not just survive. Visit us at: www.ukraineaid.group. Donate if you support our effort.
