Dear colleagues and members,
WMA, EFMA and CPME are strengthening our cooperation to support the developing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and we have set up a task force to coordinate the support from the medical community. We welcome any offer of help to join us.
The WMA is setting up an account for collecting funds to be redistributed to our partners in Poland, Slovakia and other bordering countries in order to help our Ukrainian colleagues or the medical help for refugees from Ukraine. We hope to report the account to the members and partners at the beginning of next week. Past President Dr Eidelman has kindly agreed to overlook the use of the funds by the task force.
As we wrote on Wednesday, we are establishing a route to send medical supplies through Poland in collaboration with Marek Szewczyński (Contact WMA secretariat for e-mail) from the Polish Chamber of Physicians and Dentists. Currently, ambulances are transporting supplies to Ukraine, therefore larger shipments are not yet possible through route. We will continue to update on this route and further contact details are provided below.
We are establishing a second route through Slovakia with Prof. Jozef Glasa of the Slovakian Medical Association and Mgr. Ľubica Sebiň of the Slovak Medical Chamber. They are coordinating material and medical assistance with the Ministry of Health, relevant state authorities as well as medical organisations. (Contact WMA secretariat for e-mail)
Given the large logistical challenges for each member, we are contacting other medical associations on the border with Ukraine in order to diversify the routes for medical supplies to Ukraine.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees are arriving in the western neighbours and we fear it may reach millions. They will need medical care and that may overcharge the health systems in the neighbor countries. Please also note that supplies and donations should also be reserved for refugee medical care in neighbouring countries for the next months.
Please find below a list of contacts and links to send donations.
Kind regards,
WMA, EFMA and CPME