Ambulance Relief

This is a fundraising appeal to donate vital medical aid to Ukraine. Since March 2022, four ambulances have been donated to Ukraine’s Embassy in Berne and from there driven to medical facilities inside Ukraine. Surgical equipment, respiratory and audiology machines, and 22 portable power supplies have been driven from Basel. More are on their way. The hope is to deliver life-changing aid quickly and offer enduring support.

Electrosurgical / diathermy unit

This electrosurgical/diathermy unit was bought at auction on 9 February 2023. It left the UK on 18 February and arrived at its destination in Ukraine on 7 March. Over 1800 miles, from an auction house in Bracknell to the hospital in Dnipro – a wonderful example of the informal network of British/Ukrainian collaboration delivering real aid precisely where needed.

The electrosurgical/diathermy machine enables surgeons to coagulate blood vessels (i.e. stop internal bleeding) within seconds as they cut through tissue to perform the task they must undertake, very often to save the life of the person on the operating table. It allows surgeons to cut more precisely too – greatly reducing scarring, reducing the patient’s recovery time also.

My deepest appreciation to Professor Michael and Jan Clarke for their wonderful donation enabling us to bid for this machine needed – and win it!

Taras Patlatiuk, once again, instrumental in supporting all manner of practical details. Thank you for the privilege of combining our efforts so effectively.

By amazing fortune, UK friends at Operation Safedrop were driving an aid van from Newcastle to Lviv the week after the auction. When I asked John Lawler and Toby Illingworth if this unit could travel with them, the answer an immediate yes. The joy connecting with humanitarians and professionals unphased by complicated logistics, wanting the same good outcome. Thank you Liam Mcgough for stepping in at the drop of a hat to collect the machine from the auction house and keep it at home a few days so we did not incur storage fees. A godsend!

Very special thanks to all involved in transporting this donation on its long journey east – Toby, Karl, Jonathan, Maksim and Roman.

To Evgen in Ukraine, thank you for all our communications and yours among the hospital staff. One day, soon, we will meet in your beloved Dnipro❤️

Audiology machine to diagnose hearing damage from shelling and explosions

Bought in January 2023, this audiology machine arrived with Helen Ramscar on 6th February. It left Basel on 8th February and arrived at the hospital in the Dnipro region on 14th February.

Photographs show hospital staff testing the machine on 14th February before it began work with its first patients on 15th February. This is a brief report to share the wonderful new quickly – more description to follow.

APPEAL TO DONATE GENERATORS AGAINST HYPOTHERMIA

As Russian long-range missiles and drones target Ukraine’s civil power supplies, and winter temperatures have dropped to freezing, generators and power packs are needed urgently to help back-up critical infrastructure. To help deliver some quickly you can donate any amount – large or small. Each gift will help bring power back where it is urgently needed.

💙2 ways to donate: GoFundMe or bank transfer 💛

1. GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/qjwqga-donate-generators-to-ukraine?qid=0ae9f1af95a4248bff265f7f2a910fc1

2. Direct bank transfer into the ISB Community Association account. Please reference GENERATORS so your gift is recognised for this specific appeal:

IBAN CH15 0023 3233 1616 5313 1
Account no. 233-16165313.1
BIC UBSWCHZH80A
I.S.B. Community Association, Fleischbachstrasse 2, 4153 Reinach, Switzerland

Donations will be spent as quickly as possible to get portable power flowing to medical facilities, schools and community focal points in need. If at some point it becomes logistically too difficult to deliver generators or to do so reliably, and donations are unspent, remaining funds will be spent on urgent medical aid with full details posted here.

If you donate anonymously but would like your first name written on the box, email helen@ambulance-relief.org to confirm preferred name/s to be added. Photographs of all power supplies will be posted on this website. A simple way for you to see your gift, and those who receive them to see the names of people worldwide thinking of them and supporting them in this practical way.

💫#23, #24, #25, #26💫

4 Warrior 5.5Kw diesel generators, bought on 13th February 2023 to be added to an Operation Safedrop vehicle leaving the UK a few days later. #23 and #24 left the UK on 18 February and are now inside Ukraine – one machine is being delivered within Chernihiv and the other within Kherson. #25 and #26 are travelling separately from the UK – more news soon. Full photographs of all 4 Warrior generators at their destinations to follow. Huge gratitude to friends at Operation Safedrop for transporting these generators across Europe and overseeing their distribution inside Ukraine. It is a privilege to collaborate.

💫 #22 💫

20th January 2023, bought and donated by Ayesha Sattar and Iqbal Mufti. By 3rd February, this generator had reached its destination – a small medical facility in the Dnipro region.

💫#19, #20 and #21 💫

Three MF2400 generators bought on 18th January. The next day, added to an aid van being filled with cargo – these 3 MF generators plus 4 VINCO generators donated by friends of the ‘Welcome We Care’ humanitarian organisation in Stafa, near Zurich. One was donated to the Berdychiv city library to support the tireless community efforts there to support husbands, brothers and sons in the east. Two were donated to small medical facilities in the region of Dnipro. Thank you once again to incredible volunteers across Ukraine for safely delivering generators where they are so deserved.

💫 #16, #17 and #18 💫

Three EcoFlows left Basel on 15th January. Two are now supporting ventilator rooms at a hospital in the east of Ukraine, and one is travelling constantly with a medical stabilisation unit in the east also. Pictures below posted here on 7th February, with more details to follow.

💫 #15 💫

1st January 2023, this generator reached journalist Сергей Горбатенко in east Ukraine. He has been reporting from the frontline of recently de-occupied areas. Сергей refuses to leave so he can record the truth of horror inflicted. He has needed a generator to have a chance of uninterrupted power to do this work – he must process material before sending it to editorial teams. This generator has been donated in support of the courageous pursuit of truth. You can see Сергей’s generator running here: Щиро вдячний за дружню міжнародну… – Сергей Горбатенко | Facebook

💫 #14 💫

29th December 2022, Berdychiv “Territory 12” school – open for in-person learning and serving its locality as a “Point of Invincibility”. School principal Nataly Pudrii with Grade 2 teacher Alla Pudrovska. This Facebook message was posted the day the generator arrived; the original can be read here.

💫 #13 💫

This generator so kindly donated by Michael is now supporting the department of anaesthesiology and intensive care in a small hospital in east Ukraine.

💫 #12 💫

The generator donated by Tony is supporting a public health centre in the Dnipretrovsk region. The main task of the centre is ‘the formation of an information policy to preserve and strengthen the health of the population, disease prevention, social and hygienic monitoring of diseases and strategic management in the field of public health of the Dnipropetrovsk region.’ This generator will help the continuous operation of the server and several computers working on, for example, the collection of state and operational statistical reporting of the health care sector of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

💫 #11 💫

A small dispensary in the Dnipretrovsk region with our next generator. These photographs were received on 15th January 2023, shortly before the missile attack on the residential tower block in Dnipro❤️

💫 #9 and #10 💫

13 January 2023, two generators reached medical facilities in the neighbouring villages of Peresadivka and Mikhail-Larine, near Mikolaiv. These generators will help provide some continuous power at both. The generators were carried over a bombed river to reach their destinations. The videos below speak for themselves. Very special thanks to Anna Kryzhanovska for transcribing them into English, here: Завдяки друзям у Швейцарії🇨🇭передали… – Anna Kryzhanovska | Facebook

💫 #8 💫

💫 #7 💫

💫 #6 💫

#7 and #8 above arrived on 10th January 2023 after a particularly complicated journey from Switzerland. #6 travelled further towards Kyiv and its photographs were received on 19th January. The Ukrainian volunteers transporting this aid over 2000 kilometres, facing down challenges along the way, are the finest ambassadors for their country.

8 more generators bought in Basel on 8th and 9th December 2022.

💫 #4 and #5 💫

Two VINCO 2.8Kw generators. Funds raised by evening of 9th December. Evening of 10th: first leg of their journey east. These generators got stuck at Polish Customs for weeks over the holiday period. Mid-January, crossed into Ukraine. 21st January, the photo report below from the medical stabilisation unit in Pokrovsk Donetsk region. Update to follow on the second generator.

💫 #2 and #3💫

Two VINCO 2.8Kw generators bought on 5th December 2022. 459CHF each. Departed Basel on 8th. Crossed into Ukraine on 9th.

One generator was funded by a rapid donation from the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Paris. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this wonderful gift that was delivered to Berdychiv district hospital on 14th December.

The other generator, donated by Mike, Anne, Amy, Anahita, Ava, Ben and Lucy, reached Berdychiv district hospital on 15th December. The photograph shows this generator being received by the Director, Vitaly Dobrovolsky.

Deepest admiration to all involved in this long journey from Switzerland to Ukraine.

4 generators bought in Basel on 5th December 2022.

💫#1 – DONE!💫

This Xtorm XP500 power pack was bought on 1st December 2022. 709CHF. It left Basel on 7th December. It arrived in Lviv on 9th and reached Berdychiv on 10th. It was hand-delivered to the Berdychiv veterans’ hospital on 12th December. THANK YOU to everyone on this amazing chain of goodness. Let’s do it again and again and again. Thank you, one and all. What a privilege to be connected with incredible individuals. Each of you has my deepest respect.

SPIROMETRY TO DIAGNOSE PNEUMONIA

16th December 2022, a spirometry machine to diagnose pneumonia destined for a hospital in eastern Ukraine. In this bitter and cruel cold, this equipment is needed urgently. It has been over a month of liaison and logistics. I thank Taras and our friend in Ukraine for tireless efforts. I hug each box as it leaves. This vital medical aid was funded by donations from across the International School Basel. It arrived at the hospital on 23rd December and began work with patients on Boxing Day.

SPECIALIST SURGICAL SCISSORS

This machine was donated by a kind organisation to a hospital in eastern Ukraine but arrived without specialist scissors/shears it needs to operate. The right scissors were found online, bought and shipped from the US. They arrived in Basel on 31st October and arrived at the hospital early November.

THANK YOU FROM BERDYCHIV HOSPITAL ❤️

SPECIALIST SURGICAL MACHINE + CABLES

This electro coagulation/cutting unit is used for precision surgery on injured tissue. Cables shown are for this machine as well as cables for another machine already at the hospital but missing plugs. Discussing with friends this call for help, the research done, what funds had already been raised and what more was needed, Bea and Will Lavery offered a wonderful donation that enabled this aid to be bought quickly. All left Basel on 28th October and was switched on at the hospital on 8th November.

CANDLES STRONG ENOUGH TO WARM FOOD

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AMBULANCE #4

British Deputy Ambassador Bill Longhurst joining Helen Ramscar delivering the fourth ambulance to the Ukrainian Embassy in Berne. September 2022. This ambulance has been operating in eastern Ukraine.

Helen Ramscar, Ukrainian Ambassador Dr Artem Rybchenko, ISB Director Bradley Roberts, and diplomatic colleague receiving the 4th ambulance on a visit to the International School of Basel (ISB). Monday 22 August 2022.

BRITISH EMBASSY AWARD FOR THE AMBULANCE APPEAL

This recognition was given at a special luncheon hosted by Ambassador Jane Owen at the British residence in Berne on 5th June 2022, as part of the HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

AMBULANCE #3

Ambulance 3 was delivered to the Ukraine Embassy on 27th May 2022. It was donated to the Parliament of Ukraine to serve its needs in and around Kyiv.

This ambulance was supported by three major gifts: one from the US; one from Canada; and one from the UK. Within 24 hours of hearing of this appeal, a wonderful pledge was received from the YPO FO Forum in New York. In Canada, the Unitarian Church of Montreal collected over several Sunday services. Once again, Professor Michael and Jan Clarke donated so generously to ensure this third ambulance was bought quickly and donated.

AMBULANCE #2

Thanks to tremendous momentum from the first ambulance appeal, it was possible to quickly buy a second suitable ambulance. It was delivered to the Ukrainian Embassy on 28th March 2022.

AMBULANCE #1

With the support of the Community Association of the ISB (the International School of Basel), the ambulance appeal was launched on 14th March 2022. Thanks to an immediate gift from Professor Michael and Jan Clarke, followed by the rapid response within the school community and from friends around the world, within two weeks funds were raised and paperwork exchanged. The first ambulance was delivered to the Ukraine Embassy on 23rd March 2022.

Ukrainian Ambassador Rybchenko, ISB parent Helen Ramscar, and UK Deputy Head of Mission, Switzerland, Bill Longhurst, meeting the first ambulance upon arrival at the Ukrainian Embassy in Berne. 23rd March 2022.

2 DEFIBRILLATORS

Funds were raised within an hour to buy 2 defibrillators. One gift from Ayesha and Iqbal Mufti gave this first appeal incredible momentum. The units were bought quickly, added to an aid convoy and hand-delivered to ZSR rescue medics at the Medyka (Polish/Ukraine crossing) on 6th March 2022.

WHERE THIS APPEAL BEGAN

In the last week of February, Helen collected medicines, first aid kits and clinical supplies in the carpark of the International School Basel. Boxes were driven to Berne on 4th March, to a depot designated for medical aid.

That week Helen saw on social media this photograph of a list posted outside the Ukrainian Embassy. She began fundraising for number 1 – yet, privately, she could not stop thinking of number 11 …

HOW TO HELP DONATE URGENT MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE

Two ways to donate:

For friends in Switzerland, donate via TWINT using these QR codes or any amount of your choice via bank transfer into the Community Association account below:

For friends worldwide, you can donate into the following bank account of the Community Association of the International School Basel (the ISB). Any questions, contact helen@ambulance-relief.org