AN AMBULANCE donated to the Ukraine by South Warwickshire-based charity Ambulance Aid – and subsequently destroyed by missiles – has been replaced with two new ones.
The ambulance – the first donated by Ambulance Aid and used on the frontline to evacuate the injured – was crushed when the hospital building it was parked outside was flattened in the attack.
‘Ambulance Aid’ stickers were still clearly visible on the ambulance amid the rubble. And at the time, Ambulance Aid volunteers said this was “a stark reminder of the reality on the ground in the Ukraine”.
Now there is good news, as two more ambulances were handed over at the weekend along with medical supplies from Coventry and Warwickshire. One ambulance was donated by the BBC from the set of Holby City and another ambulance – a Mercedes Sprinter – was funded by supporters.
The ambulances left Stratford on Friday afternoon (August 5) driven by Ambulance Aid volunteers Andy Brettell and Clare Underwood from Snitterfield, and Sam McNaught Barrow and Eric Appleton from Stratford. They were handed over 2,000 kilometres later in Poland, 20 miles from Ukraine.
The mission was overseen by Ukrainian born Dr Tania Hebert, of Medical Aid Ukraine in the West Midlands, who is also a GP at Warwick Hospital.
She said: “Our first ambulance saved hundreds of lives, but tragically it was recently destroyed by a Russian missile attack on the hospital in Eastern Ukraine.
It’s just been confirmed the Holby City ambulance will be a replacement. Also confirmed is our other ambulance will go to a hospital in the Kharkiv area, which currently has no ambulance at all.”
Thousands of items of donated medical aid were prepared by local volunteers working alongside new Ukrainian arrivals.
Dr Hebert coordinated the medical supplies, the handover and paperwork, and worked to achieve safe passage across the border with ‘Stay Safe Ukraine’ who are now taking the ambulances across Ukraine.
While many other teams contributed to the mission – from Crisis Comfort Carers in Coventry for medical donations, to Milcote Hall Quality Seeds in Stratford for warehousing, Warwick Hospital for electrical medical equipment, to local vehicle services who mended the ambulances.
Volunteer Director, Claudine Pearson from Stratford said: “Ambulance Aid is proud of the drivers and of all involved. We are a not for profit organisation and everyone is a volunteer. It has been a rolling team effort from spark to ignition to delivery. The continued commitment to this community response is remarkable.
“In September, we hope to deliver more ambulances and medical supplies. Please volunteer or donate via Just Giving. http://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ambulance-aid-ukraine.”
