Ukranian doctor ‘humbled’ by support for country from hospitals including Northampton

A Ukrainian doctor has teamed up with a hospital in Northampton to deliver more than 110 tonnes of urgent medical supplies across his home country.

Sergey Tadtayev is a consultant urologist surgeon working with the Circle Health Group.

In response to direct requests from Ukrainian doctors, Three Shires Hospital in Northampton has joined forces with the Ukrainian doctors’ union (Ukraine Medical Association) and the British Red Cross to identify needs in war-hit hospitals, whilst Sergey has galvanised his Circle colleagues to gather 10-truck loads including 200 pallets of vital kit and medical supplies from across the group’s national network of 53 hospitals.

Ventilators, crutches, walking frames, respiratory masks, scrubs, bandages, wound kits, operating tables and other medical supplies have been stock-piled from Circle hospitals across the country and delivered directly to the doors of five hospitals covering North, South, East and West Ukraine. Upon receipt of the urgent supplies, the hospitals distribute a portion to local community hospitals in a hub and spoke model.

A team of volunteer hauliers from the UK, Poland and Ukraine have made the journey on a weekly basis since March to deliver urgent supplies. Circle Health Group have committed to continue the weekly delivery programme for as long as the supplies are required.

The latest delivery, which departed the UK on Wednesday April 13 and arrived at a Kharkiv hospitals on Easter Sunday, contained £185,500 of medical equipment loaded on 35 pallets.

At Three Shires, Patient Administrator Sophie Luke, produced and sold crocheted Ukrainian heart earrings to raise money toward Circle’s combined target of £1 million. So far Sophie and her colleagues in the outpatient's department have raised over £200.

Sergey’s appeal and Three Shires Hospital’s efforts have received an extraordinary response from colleagues, with circa £1.4m worth of medical supplies and funds donated by Circle Health Group hospitals, staff and suppliers to date.

Dr Tadtayev said: “My heart breaks for my fellow doctors back home who are fighting heroically to care for the sick and wounded.

"Hospitals are struggling to get basic supplies because transport and manufacturing have been so badly disrupted, so I knew I had to do something to help. I am humbled by the solidarity and support for my homeland.”