Medical Education and Supplies – Help Ukrainian Hospitals

Why are we delivering medical education and medical supplies?

The ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe since 1945. Millions of Ukrainians have experienced war-related trauma and dislocation from their families, homes, livelihood and medical care. Medical education of Ukrainian healthcare professionals and basic medical supplies is targeted to hospitals caring for war-injured and displaced Ukrainians can play a critical role in helping those affected by war.

Firstly, medical education can equip Ukrainian healthcare professionals with knowledge and skills they need to provide effective care to war-injured patients. This can include training on triage, emergency war surgery, damage control resuscitation, transfusion medicine, rapid diagnostic procedures (e.g., point of care ultrasonography [POCUS]) and mental health support for patients with traumatic stress. With a solid understanding of these critical concepts, Ukrainian medical professionals can better respond to the needs of their communities during the conflict. This training is being delivered by HUH virtually via ZOOM conferences, via webinars organized by the Ukrainian Society of Anesthesiologists, and in person, via POCUS workshops taught in several cities in Ukraine by HUH physician-educators. For example, Professor Stevens was recently appointed a Visiting Professor at the Dnipro State Medical University. He has already made two visits to Dnipro and is planning a third and fourth trip in Fall 2023 and Winter 2024, respectively.

Secondly, targeted medical supplies can help to address the specific needs of those hospitals and healthcare professionals affected by the conflict. This can include portable ultrasound devices, supplies for treating war-related injuries such as bandages, wound dressings, and antibiotics, as well medications for anxiety and depression. By providing targeted medical supplies, HUH and our partners help to ensure that those affected by the conflict have access to the care they need to recover and rebuild their lives.

Medical supplies are essential components of any effective humanitarian response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Medical supplies coupled with medical knowledge delivered by doctors with experience in treating war injuries, can help to ensure that Ukrainians have access to the care they need to recover from the physical and psychological tolls of the conflict.

>10

portable ultrasounds donated

> 1000

Doctors received an education.

> 25 000$

raised for education

Here is a plan of actions for a charity to help with the medical education and targeted medical supplies needed to support Ukrainians during the Russian invasion:

We have identified Ukrainian medical universities and hospitals in Dnipro, Rivne, Kyiv, Odesa, and L’viv that are willing to partner with HUH to host our medical educators, either virtually, via webinars or ZOOM rounds or in person via workshops at Ukrainian hospitals. Targeted medical supplies generally means medical supplies requested by a specific Ukrainian hospital to address a shortage of medications, supplies, or medical devices that cannot be sourced locally.
Partner with established international aid organizations or local Ukrainian organizations that have experience providing medical support in crisis situations. These could include organizations such as Direct Relief, MedGlobal, UMANA, Medicins sans Frontiers (MSF), Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), Ukrainian Society of Anesthesiology) and the Ukrainian Ministries of Health and Defense.
Develop a fundraising campaign to raise funds for medical education and targeted medical supplies. This could include a social media campaign, a crowdfunding effort, or traditional fundraising events such as galas or auctions. The campaign should clearly communicate the need for medical education and supplies in Ukraine and how the funds will be used.
Work with partner organizations to develop and implement medical education programs for healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, dentists, pharmacists, and others) in Ukraine. These programs will be tailored to the specific needs expressed by our Ukrainian partners and could include training on mental health support, triage, critical care medicine, damage control surgery and damage control resuscitation, transfusion medicine, point of care ultrasonography, state of the art guidelines for antibiotics usage, mechanical ventilation, and ICU liberation.
Purchase and distribute targeted medical supplies and equipment to local healthcare institutions in Ukraine. These supplies should be selected based on the specific needs of the community and could include defibrillators, hand-held ultrasonography devices, nerve stimulators, nerve block needles, bronchoscopes, bandages, wound dressings, antibiotics, and medications for mental health support as well as relevant and current English-language medical textbooks.
Monitor and evaluate the impact of the medical education provided. This could include collecting data on the number of healthcare workers trained, the self-assessed impact of this training on Ukrainian medical and nursing practice, and the types and numbers of medical equipment distributed.
Continue to support medical education and targeted medical supplies in Ukraine as needed. The conflict in Ukraine will likely require sustained support over a period of years, and the needs will not end with the end of hostilities, and the Ukrainian healthcare system has a long way to develop in order to reach the level of central and western European countries. It will be important to remain engaged and responsive to the changing needs of the hospitals that we partner with.

Our Cause

Medical Education and Supplies.

Our charity has already delivered several hand-held ultrasound probes to Ukraine and trained over 200 doctors to use them. However, many more hospitals in Ukraine still need these small and portable diagnostic devices and training to obtain images and to interpret these images and use this information to guide therapy.

Facts

Where does my money actually go?

– We sponsor purchasing and delivery of new portable ultrasound equipment and in-country education programs for Ukrainian doctors on how to use them and how to interpret this information

What percentage of my donation goes towards programs?

– After donation platform fees and administrative expenses about 80% of donation goes directly toward supporting the projects detailed above.

What’s your goal?

– Our goal is to help Ukrainians improve their healthcare system to mitigate the injuries and wounds sustained in war and to build a better healthcare system for the future as Ukraine aspires to become a member of both the European Union and NATO.

How do you make sure my gifts to Chariti are spent wisely?

– Our work in medical education has focused on improving access to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) technology for healthcare professionals in Ukraine, improving the understanding of blood transfusion medicine for war casualties, improving general intensive care, and bringing knowledge from US- and European-based physicians, most of whom are professors of medicine in their home countries directly to our Ukrainian colleagues. Through our efforts, we have provided webinars reaching > 1000 anesthesiologists on the coagulopathy of trauma and shock and whole blood transfusion, provided lectures to Ukrainian specialist doctors and post-graduate residents, trained > 200 Ukrainian anesthesiologists in the use of POCUS in February, March and April 2023, all of which are helping to improve patient outcomes and save lives. We believe in cost-effect use of your donations. Our experts who have traveled to Ukraine have often donated much of the money to fund their own travels, and are very cost-conscious in choice of travel and living arrangements while in Ukraine, and truly believe in providing cost-effective training that the Ukrainians can immediately use within the existing constraints of their healthcare system, with a minimum of a requirement for additional expensive healthcare equipment and minimizing a requirement for an additional supply chain of consumables and spare parts.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

– If you are a resident of the United States your donation is tax detuctible as we are a registered 501c3 organization.

Updates

February 27, 2023

This is the second time Help Ukrainian Hospitals has supported Rom Stevens coming from Chicago to Ukraine. Rom is coming to run a training program called Point of Care Ultrasonography (POCUS) for students, teachers, interns, and doctors from the entire Dnipropetrovsk region.

In March, Rom is bringing a team of doctors from the best medical schools in the US to Lviv! As part of a larger training program, they will train not only Dnipro anesthesiologists but medical doctors from all over Ukraine, helping take their skills to the next level.

February 21, 2023

Help Ukrainian Hospitals, Inc organized 2 visits to Ukraine by Professor Rom Stevens from Chicago to teach 400+ anesthesiologists from Dnipro and the region to make decisions at the point of care.

Portable ultrasound devices can see the problem on the spot and help to guide doctors for immediate intervention. This may significantly alter survival chances in the patient’s favor.

In March, a group of doctors from the USA supported by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) will teach nuances of point-of-care ultrasonography in Lviv. (lots of them are actual authors of critical care ultrasound protocols).

This will bring this knowledge to over a hundred Ukrainian intensive care doctors.

December 05, 2022

Good news: with the help of your support will be able to equip the surgeons of hospital #16 with a high-end operating room kit.

Specifically in this Surgical Block in Dnipro, doctors are fighting for the lives of our defenders 24/7.

October 12, 2022

Our charity organization “Help Ukrainian Hospital” ensured the arrival of professor Rom Stevens to Dnipro to teach our doctors how to rescue defenders on the battlefield according to the latest world protocols. Create a “blood bank” in the field and perform “point-of-care” ultrasound diagnostics with devices the size of a smartphone.

“It is an honor for me to support the heroic and existential struggle for democratic values in Europe, which is currently being led by the heroic Ukrainian people,” explains Rom.