On 6^th March 2014, a special military aircraft has transported another 11 people that were injured during recent unrest in Ukraine to the Kbely airport in Prague. They will be treated in the Czech Republic within the MEDEVAC project. Social services will be provided by Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague. The services include assistance, interpreting, and small-scale shopping. It facilitates orientation in the foreign environment.

“The wounded people are of different ages, ranging from 17-60. There are single men as well as fathers with five children. The wounded are from different social classes and include students, workmen, and businessmen,” says Světlana Porche, the coordinator of the project from Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague.

“I have never experienced such an emotionally strong and demanding MEDEVAC project,” adds Mrs. Světlana that has been working with Caritas for several years. “First, there are more patients than there have been at other times, and they are adults wounded by firearms during recent unrest.”

The MEDEVAC program is supervised by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and is focused predominantly on medical treatment of seriously ill children from regions affected by wars or other crises that could not be treated due to local conditions.

The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic cooperates also with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Defence. Since 1993 when MEDEVAC was founded, 165 patients have been treated within the project (mostly children) – from Bosnia and Herzegovina (17), Kosovo (40), Chechnya (1), Iraq (42), Pakistan (10), Afghanistan (14), Cambodia (7), Libya (17), Myanmar/Burma (3), and Syria (14).

Caritas of the Archdiocese of Prague has been cooperating on the MEDEVAC program since 2006. Since 27^th February 2014, it has provided treatment to 27 Ukrainian patients, a further 11 came on 6^th March. The patients suffered serious injuries during the Euromaidan event in Kiev.

Caritas Czech Republic sent first-aid kits and direct help to families whose members were killed or seriously injured during the recent unrest. Caritas Czech Republic will also support medical centers and centers for psychological help. The recent unrest and bloodshed in Kiev have not only affected the inhabitants of the city, but have also struck lives of many people from other Ukrainian regions. Further help from Caritas Czech Republic will therefore directed towards Western Ukraine where it will support three medical centers providing medical treatment to recently wounded people.