Open Letter From Dr. Alexander Kirichenko, Allegheny Health Network:

Many of you have heard of the recent events taking place in Eastern Europe, with Russia ultimately crippling Ukraine economically and politically by the takeover of Crimea, along with its military invasion to Eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Terrorists backed up by elite Russian troops and equipped by newest Russian weapons fire their rockets, heavy shells and grenades to cities and villages on both sides of the front line.  On January 24th 2015 terrorists launched heavy rockets on the residential area of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol that is 25 km. south of the active conflict zone. This attack claimed lives of 31 innocent civilians and left more than 100 people wounded.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion more than 5 000 people were killed, and more than 10 000 wounded. Over 921 000 people were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other regions of Ukraine. Civilians staying in the war zone (mostly elderly and economically disadvantaged people)  live in constant fear for their lives. On January 27th 2015 the Ukrainian Parliament officially classified separatists of Donetsk and Luhansk  as terrorist organizations backed by the Russian Federation as the military invader.

The worldwide condemnation of the Russian invasion has offered significant support to Ukraine; however, in addition to strong words about the humanitarian crisis ( http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=21480&la...) there is little medical aid being systematically provided to both military and civilian victims of the war. Throughout my recent trip to Ukraine (including Mariupol and near-by Berdyansk among other cities) I witnessed the dismal conditions of the severely under-supplied hospitals with frequent cutoffs of electricity, disruption in water flow and heating. In the areas affected by war small community hospitals and clinics have become front line trauma centers, desperately attempting to aid the influx of wounded military and civilian victims. It is in this time of crisis that I turn to you to request medical aid to the Ukrainian hospitals at the front line of the conflict. 

There is major shortage of the following basic items:

 

In addition, we are collecting monetary donations to cover container shipment to Ukraine and to purchase medical equipment, such as a portable X-ray machine for the operating rooms. There are front-line hospitals where surgeons explore shrapnel wounds in the absence of image guidance – such an X-ray machine which would be dramatically helpful. 

 

Collected aid and purchased equipment will be donated directly to the Ukrainian hospitals through The Ukrainian Community of Western Pennsylvania (UCOWPA) with delivery supervision by the International Rehabilitation Center "Maidan Hospital. We will receive photographs from the recipient hospitals about the donated items.

Ways to donate: 

Read more about "Maidan Hospital" here.