British Health Secretary Sajid Javid today confirmed the safe arrival of 21 Ukrainian paediatric oncology patients and their immediate families in the UK.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many hospitals have been damaged including specialist oncology clinics and maternity and paediatric hospitals. The Ukraine has an unusually highly burden of paediatric cancer cases. Paediatric patients undergoing active treatment have mostly been transported to Poland where their ongoing care has been co-ordinated by a team on the ground from the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital from the USA.
“The situation is dire,” said Dr Rodriguez-Galindo from St. Jude’s. “It is chaotic and catastrophic, with a very unsafe environment, right now with a full deployment of the Russian army. It’s very difficult for physicians, for patients.”
A specialist medical team of nine medics from the UK today flew to Poland to collect the twenty-one children and their parents on a specially chartered flight.
Dr Michael Griksaitis who led the team said: “We had a very quick turnaround preparing bespoke bags of kit.”
“Getting the children and their families back to the UK so they can continue with vital treatment and receive whatever further medical help they might need, was the absolute priority,” Dr Griksaitis said.
“This was an incredible collaboration across all parts of the NHS. Primarily frontline children’s hospitals that were able to put together a critical care transport team departed by oncology colleagues made up from University Hospital Southampton and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
“This all happened quite quickly, quite efficiently and was quite an emotional experience, actually.
“We were just privileged and honoured to be able to help get them out of the country and get them to England and the UK where we could provide ongoing support for them because without this ongoing care they would die,” said Dr Griksaitis.
The UK Government has been increasingly criticised for its slow response in offering aid to refugees fleeing the conflict.
“I am proud that the UK is offering life-saving medical care to these Ukrainian children, who have been forced out of their home country by the Russian invasion while undergoing medical treatment,” said Mr Javid, UK Health Secretary.
The children will be assessed and transported to hospitals that are best suited to offer them care. It is understood that Great Ormond Street Hospital are preparing to treat at least ten children requiring oncology treatment who have been evacuated from Ukraine.
Sources: University Hospital Southampton, NHS and Health Department.
Image Credit: University Hospital Southampton
HELP UKRAINE: An ECO-ASCO Special Network ‘Impact of the War in Ukraine on Cancer’ has been established to pull together global oncology resources to best support oncology patients and healthcare professionals during the conflict. Please visit the website for information or to offer support.
You can also visit our web page on what you can do to help.
