Local doctors doctors collecting, distributing supplies to Ukraine
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. It’s been over 6 months now since Russia invaded its neighbor Ukraine. Since then help has been pouring into the war torn country from around the world, including from right here in Rochester.
News10NBC talked to doctors who have been taking up a collection, and distributing much needed medication and supplies to many Ukrainian cities. One of the cities these local donations are being shipped to is Kharkiv, one of many places that are not occupied by Russian forces.
“We’re trying to ship at least once, or twice a month,” said Rochester Regional Health Pediatric Neurologist Dr. Yuliya Snyder.
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine Dr. Snyder, and her counterpart Dr. Alex Paciorkowski from URMC both created the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund. The relief fund started a collection of local medication and medical supplies.
“We did over the counter medications,” said Snyder. “We did prescription drugs such as anti-seizure medications, antibiotics, and such.”
News10NBC talked to doctors who have been taking up a collection, and distributing much needed medication and supplies to many Ukrainian cities.
Helping them distribute the supplies in Ukraine is Dr. Olga Grygorieva, a colleague of Snyder who also translated for Grygorieva.
“At first when the war started all the medications were very much needed, because all the pharmacies were closed, and we couldn’t get any medications,” said Grygorieva.
Every day her clinic sees roughly 20 patients at least six days a week, a sharp drop she says since the war started. We asked Grygorieva what medications are hard to get in her country.
“At first it was hard to get medications for thyroid diseases, diabetes, insulin,” said Grygorieva.
Snyder says right now a big project is in the works for shipment.
“Our current project is an ambulance for the pediatric hospital in Kharkiv,” said Snyder. “That would be our project number 16, and project number 15 is still ongoing, which is medication and medical supplies for pediatric hospitals in Kharkiv.”
Dr. Paciorkowski says what is really needed right now is more local cash donations.
“We’re able to basically transfer that money over to partners in Poland and in Ukraine to purchase many of the medications in Europe, where things are certainly in Poland are cheaper, and the delivery is quicker,” said Paciorkowski.
Click on this link to donate to the Ukraine Medical Relief Fund.