A UKRAINIAN doctor practicing in the UK, Sergey Tadtayev – a consultant urological surgeon has partnered with his hospital operator, Circle Health Group and Werndale Hospital to deliver over 110 tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies across Ukraine.
In response to direct requests from Ukrainian doctors, Werndale Hospital worked with the Ukrainian Doctors’ Union (Ukraine Medical Association) and the British Red Cross to identify needs in war-affected hospitals, while Sergey galvanized his Circle colleagues to collect 10 truckloads of 200 pallets of vital kits and medical supplies from across the Group’s national network of 53 hospitals.
Ventilators, crutches, walkers, breathing masks, scrubs, bandages, wound kits, operating tables and other medical supplies were stocked at Circle hospitals across the country and delivered directly to gates of five hospitals covering north, south, east and western Ukraine. Upon receipt of urgent supplies, hospitals distribute a portion to local community hospitals in a hub and spoke pattern.
A team of volunteer transporters from the UK, Poland and Ukraine have made the journey on a weekly basis since March 15 to deliver urgently needed supplies, sailing through war-torn regions and conflict zones to reach hospitals in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykoliav, Odessa and Lviv. Circle Health Group has pledged to continue the weekly delivery program for as long as supplies are needed.
The latest delivery, which left the UK on Wednesday April 13 and arrived at a hospital in Kharkiv on Easter Sunday, contained £185,500 worth of medical equipment loaded onto 35 pallets, including 5 ventilators, an operating table , patient monitors, suction tubes and chest drainage. sterile sets and gowns.
In Werndale, staff and doctors have formed a partnership with the ‘Voice of Ukraine in Wales’, a local organization which coordinates aid deliveries to hospitals in eastern Ukraine. The Haverfordwest Golf Club women’s team and hospital collected items for families and new mothers, and within 24 hours of the first call for donations, 70 large boxes of items were collected and delivered. Werndale also donated over £2,000 worth of medical supplies for the collection.
Sergey’s appeal and Werndale’s efforts have received an extraordinary response from colleagues, with around £1.4 million in medical supplies and funds donated by Circle Health hospitals, staff and suppliers group to date. Circle Health Group suppliers and partners have also risen to the challenge, with significant donations from suppliers such as Medical properties Trust, Rocialle Healthcare, GBUK Group, Intersurgical, Timesco, Chemence, Bunzl, Healthcare Supplies and Supply Chain Solutions, Purple Surgical, RB Medical, June Medical, Toffeln and Cantel.
Dr Sergey Tadtayev said: “My heart breaks for my fellow doctors who are heroically fighting to treat the sick and injured – even as the bombs continue to fall. Hospitals are struggling to get basic supplies because transportation and manufacturing have been so severely disrupted, so I knew I had to do something to help.
Moving over 100 tons of medical supplies between hospitals thousands of miles apart and multiple borders was an incredible team effort, and I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my colleagues at Circle Health Group. They are moving heaven and earth to bring help to those who really need it on the front lines, and I am touched by the solidarity and support for my homeland.
Paolo Pieri, CEO of Circle Health Group, said: “We are so grateful to the hundreds of people across the country who have contributed to this effort, from staff to partners and suppliers, and to the brave drivers who have stepped up to a personal considerable risk. It’s hard to know how to help in the face of such enormous suffering, but as a hospital operator and one of the UK’s largest employers, we knew we could provide unique support to hospitals caring for the sick and The wounded. By working directly with Sergey and his Ukrainian medical colleagues, we are able to understand their exact needs and provide targeted help directly in some of the most challenging areas of the country.
