PHARMACEUTICAL firm Aspen Pharmacare said yesterday that it had extended its support to Ukraine with donations of life-saving medicines required for urgent surgical intervention.
Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen senior executive, said: “We are in the business of saving lives and the impact of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine cannot be ignored. Ukraine is desperate for critical care, surgical and life-saving interventions and as a leading global supplier of anaesthetics and other critical medicines we are doing everything in our power to support this humanitarian effort.
Total support valued at R11 million was offered.
He said Aspen had worked tirelessly with the Embassy of Ukraine in South Africa regarding logistics and transportation and had arranged multiple donations of anaesthetics and other medications, the first of which had arrived in Ukraine from the UK.
This shipment will ensure that 40 000 life-saving surgical interventions can take place to assist critically injured and maimed patients, Nicolaou said.
A second shipment, which was being dispatched from Germany, was expected to arrive in Ukraine imminently, which would provide medical supplies for an additional 22 000 surgeries. Further shipments of medical supplies was currently being assessed.
Aspen said South Africa has also been impacted by the unfolding crisis. To this end the company has arranged for the safe repatriation of 25 South African students who were studying at universities in Ukraine and who were forced to flee the conflict to avoid becoming casualties of war themselves.
Ten highly traumatised and emotional students were welcomed home by their families at OR Tambo International Airport on March 10 and the last two students are expected to arrive in the country within the week, Aspen said.
Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine’s ambassador to South Africa, said: “The Russian/Ukrainian conflict has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the bombing of critical infrastructure, which has left many citizens critically injured and without medicines, water and electricity.
“We are grateful for Aspen’s support and life-saving medicines which bring hope to the people of Ukraine.
“Many Ukrainian healthcare workers are fighting the war at the front line, working under desperate circumstances to keep the healthcare system going and this donation of critical and life-saving medicines will assist these healthcare workers to save the lives of both injured civilians and those in the armed services.”
Aspen is a global speciality and branded multinational pharmaceutical company in both emerging and developed markets.
Aspen employs 9 100 people and has 69 established business operations in more than 50 countries.
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