Canadian medics start fourth mission to Ukraine, perform reconstructive surgeries for ATO veterans

Fourth mission of Canadian medics has started at the Main Clinical Military Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, reported Anatoliy Kazmirchuk, Head of Hospital speaking to media in early hours of Monday.

A team of 22 medics from Canada including surgeons, anesthetists and nurses is to conduct free-of-charge operations for ATO veterans treating facial and upper extremity trauma, post-traumatic craniofacial deformities, soft tissue defects, and scars. The mission is funded by the Canadian government and organized by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. It started on 19 February and is to last until 28 February. Medics’ travel and living costs are covered, they volunteered to take part in this project, noted Krystina Waler, director of humanitarian initiatives at the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

“Two years ago it was the Canada-Ukraine Foundation that addressed the Main Clinical Military Hospital,” said Colonel Ihor Fedirko director of Craniofacial Surgery and Dentistry Clinic within the Hospital. Over 100 patients have been operated in course of the previous three missions. They include Euromaidan activists and ATO veterans. First two missions of Canadian doctors were financed by private donations of Canadian citizens, next two by the Canadian government, he added. Canadian government provided CAD 1,2 million to cover two missions, training for combat medics through the Patriot Defense initiative, telemedicine and medical equipment, Waler said.

Current mission is headed by Dr. Oleh Antonyshyn, Head of the Adult Craniofacial Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Professor of Plastic Surgery, University of Toronto. He was already operating on Monday and could not be present at the press conference. His colleague Mark McRae, plastic surgeon, University of Toronto said: “The surgeries that we do here are very complex and very involved surgeries that do require a team approach. These are problems that you don’t come across every day. Even in North America these are injuries with high energy and high complexity”. McRae also emphasized the importance of professional exchange of knowledge adding that it is a really nice opportunity to come together and bring some of the technologies and equipment the team is in possession with. Krystina Waler added that the mission also aims at training local doctors to use the equipment that they’ve brought.

About 10 operations were scheduled for Monday, said Kazmirchuk. Further call for patients is still open.

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