An ambulance loaded with life-saving medical supplies has been shipped to Ukraine

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Hartford HealthCare is responding to the never-ending need for medical supplies.

Hartford HealthCare's supply staff filled an ambulance full of lifesaving medicinal materials to the war front in Ukraine on Thursday.

The ambulance is on its way to Irpin, which has been devastated by bombings.

"They have stretchers, some life-saving equipment, transfer boards, mobilization boards..." According to Hartford Healthcare neurosurgeon Joseph Aferzon.

He received a desperate call from a friend in Ukraine, who informed him of the dire situation in the city next to Kyiv.

According to Lillia Taschuk of the healthcare improvement company Premier Inc., the city of Irpin went from having 109 ambulances to fewer than ten after being damaged by bombings.

Officials in New Haven are taking steps to combat violence in the city.

Premier and Hartford HealthCare collaborated to repurpose an ambulance that was about to be retired.

"This ambulance donation is truly saving lives," Taschuk said.

The ambulance is expected to arrive in Irpin in about two weeks.

Thousands of masks, hundreds of gowns, dozens of splint bags, and countless needles and syringes are among the items on the list. Aferzon stated that they have planned a logistic route to safely transport the ambulance to the city.

"Sometimes they'll buy cars and paint them and refurbish them, so I think having something large and dedicated to specifically transporting critical patients is very valuable," he said.