Hoosier ambulance headed to Ukraine

VALPARAISO, Ind. (WNDU) - An ambulance left Indiana Thursday to respond to an emergency in Ukraine.

A program called U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine seeks to steer emergency vehicles that are being retired in the United States—to Ukraine.

The organization has received 38 donated ambulances in its first year of operation. Today brought the first from Indiana.

No doubt, the Indiana ambulance donated today by InHealth has seen its share of runs in its 316,000-mile history, but chances are, its next run will be its most needed.

“This next batch of ten ambulances, all ten of them will end up going to military units that support medical evacuations of military, civilian, anyone who gets wounded in these combat areas,” explained Christopher Manson with OSF HealthCare, who is also involved with U.S. Ambulances to Ukraine. “What will end up happening is, these ambulances will usually run kind of, maybe not immediately on the front lines, but from a forward battalion aid station type of area, and then they’ll take wounded soldiers or civilians to a higher level of care, to a hospital in a safer area, maybe five, ten miles away.”

The next batch of ambulances is scheduled to ship out in mid-April and arrive in Germany three to four weeks later. The units should arrive in Ukraine sometime in May.

The Indiana ambulance will come stuffed with donated supplies such as bandages, gloves, socks, and flashlights.

The care package on wheels will also come with caring words of encouragement. Many of the volunteers are writing messages on the inside and outside of the vehicle.

“I said, God bless from Valparaiso, Indiana. I think it’s important because I know sometimes just from the news reports, I see over there, I think they might be alone or overwhelmed. I think it’s good for people to know that, you know, no matter where you are, we’re kind of all in this together,” said Ron Donahue with InHealth

Copyright 2023 WNDU. All rights reserved.