Medicine experts deliver $789k of life-saving supplies to Ukrainian frontline

By Ed Cullinane via SWNS

A team of global extreme medicine experts have delivered more than £645,000 ($789,376) worth of life-saving medical supplies to the frontline in Ukraine.

World Extreme Medicine, which partners with the University of Exeter to deliver the Extreme Medicine Masters program, successfully made the delivery this week.

Driving in convoy all the way to Ukraine's frontline, the group were supported by the Polish Red Cross and local Ukrainian organization Medics4Ukraine.

Delivering "trauma boxes" to Ukrainian troops, the group aims to give soldiers everything they need to keep a casualty alive until they can be transported to a hospital.

At a Polish Red Cross center close to the border with Ukraine where large shipments are transhipped to the M4U hub in Livi. (Perou via SWNS)

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Each pack contains vital medical kit and some of a £400,000 ($489,536) donation of Quikclot, a combat gauze which creates immediate clotting on application to a wound - preventing potentially fatal bleeding.

Mark Hannaford is the founder of World Extreme Medicine and co-founder of the Extreme Medicine Masters program.

He said that the organization initially held back from rushing into Ukraine to assess what aid was actually needed and where the organization could add value.

Aiming to slash the number of frontline deaths, Mark returned this week from delivering the products to the frontline.

He explained: "We wanted to make sure our activity in Ukraine really made a positive impact where it’s needed.

"Because we have specialist expertise, and we’re a small group on a targeted operation, we can be sure that our essential supplies go directly to where they’re needed, on the front line.”

One major donation for the mission was made by Exeter alumni and Chairman of the Team 5 Foundation Eric Linder.

Linder, who recently completed Exeter’s Extreme Medicine Masters programme, provides medical care to some of the harshest environments on earth through his company.

Having received a huge donation of Quikclot, which is currently in a global supply shortage after the war in Ukraine massively boosted demand, Team 5 quickly invested their supply into the war.

Eric said: “We’d received a huge donation of Quikclot, and we were using it to train our expedition members.

"It’s become incredibly sought-after since the start of the Ukrainian conflict. You just can’t get it.

"It’s one of the most valuable items of medical kit you can have on the frontline. It really saves lives.

“I could think of no better use for it than to donate it to Ukraine, and I had absolute faith in World Extreme Medicine to ensure it reaches those who need it.

"For me, the most valuable aspect of the Extreme Medicine Masters at the University of Exeter was networking – it’s that network that helps them to operate more efficiently, and it’s also helped me to recruit direct to Team 5.!"

You can find out more about Exeter's Extreme Medicine Master course here.