Ponte Vedra residents had a chance to learn firsthand about the situation in Ukraine last week when a team of Ukrainian surgeons shared their experiences at a panel discussion and reception held at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club.
The surgeons — who are studying advanced pain management techniques at the Mayo Clinic — described the challenges they are facing in treating soldiers who have been severely wounded in the ongoing war with Russia.
“The situation is absolutely catastrophic,” said Dr. Andrii Strokan, chief clinical medical officer at Feofaniya Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. “It’s unimaginable when you see 20,000 young guys without arms and legs.”
Many of the soldiers who have had amputations, the doctors noted, have returned to the fighting, necessitating new and more effective pain management techniques.
“When I talk to soldiers, they told me they were not afraid to die,” Strokan said. “They were afraid to be left on the battlefield, to be wounded with no care. If they know they will be taken care of, they will fight.”
The continuing war has made transporting and treating wounded soldiers even more difficult, the doctors said, noting that often a wounded soldier will have to be transferred between four different hospitals in two days to access the specialized care needed.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Roman Ilyuk, meanwhile, described the heartbreak of seeing how a soldier’s psychological trauma impacts not only the soldier but also his family.
“It is haunting to see the trauma in the children’s faces,” he said. “But it is better to have a sick father than no father.”
International Health Care Summit
The panel discussion and reception were sponsored by the Janz Corporation — a veteran-owned medical equipment supply company — in conjunction with August Mission, a nonprofit founded by Army veteran Bruce Roberts to provide humanitarian aid in war-torn regions such as Ukraine. The two organizations have joined forces to sponsor an international health care summit to be held in Kyiv, Ukraine, in November that will bring doctors, researchers and experts from around the world to share knowledge and cutting-edge medical techniques to assist Ukraine in improving and expanding its medical care.
“Addressing global health issues in challenging localities is at the heart of our mission,” the health care summit website states. “Through this summit, we strive to foster international collaboration, breaking down barriers and promoting the exchange of ideas among experts from various countries.”
To learn more, go to augustmission.org or internationalhealthcaresummit.org.
