15 Jul IE alumnus continues providing assistance to medical institutions in war-torn Eastern Ukraine

Author: Sarmad Ahmad

Vitaliy Dubil, IE Executive MBA 2016 and IE EPIC Award 2017, leads an international charitable project “Support Hospitals in Ukraine”, www.uahospitals.org. In late spring 2018, Vitaliy’s team delivered from the USA its fourth medical cargo in the form of humanitarian aid to hospitals in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Zaporizhzhya.

The war in Ukraine has left thousands dead and tens of thousands wounded. Whether it’s in or out of headlines of global media outlets, the military crisis in Ukraine continues. Hospitals in Ukraine are under immense strain that will likely continue to be for a long time regardless of how quickly the war can be ended. Furthermore, due to the economic turbulence in the country, all public and municipal medical institutions have been substantially underfinanced since the independence restoration 27 years ago. Doctors and numerous volunteers have been doing a consistently heroic job, but are in dire need of more trauma-related equipment and surgical tools.

Started in 2014, ‘Support Hospitals in Ukraine’ has been providing Ukrainian hospitals with much needed modern medical equipment and consumables shipped from the USA. In May 2018, Vitaliy’s team with support from numerous partners and donors in the USA, Canada, Europe delivered to Ukraine the fourth shipment bringing the total value of the provided assistance to US$2.4 million.

Each cargo has valuable equipment, such as X-Ray unit C-arm, ultrasound diagnostic equipment, ICU beds, different surgery and neurosurgery kits, and others. This equipment will save many lives for years to come. Doctors in Ukraine are actively using the medical equipment delivered from the USA by ‘Support Hospitals in Ukraine’.  Andrey Sirko, head of the Neurosurgery department at Dnipro Regional Hospital Mechnikov:

“Thank you very much for congratulating us with the professional holiday [Ukraine celebrates the Day of Doctors and Medical Workers on June 17th]. However, the best gift for us is not only words, but real support. Since the first days [in mid-May 2018] when the medical equipment and supplies were delivered from the USA, we use it in our favorite operating room #21. In the humanitarian cargo, we got electrosurgical units, sets for craniotomy, ventricular catheters, numerous neurosurgery and vascular surgery packs & supplies, and other consumables. On the picture, we are removing a brain tumor using some equipment and consumables provided from the USA. Huge thanks to the hospital administration, local officials, and, especially, our supporters from overseas for such valuable gift on the professional holiday, and when we are celebrating 220 years since the hospital was found.”