World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that shortage of oxygen in Ukraine could put lives in danger and undermine the support of UN efforts in the country.
On day seven of the Ukraine crisis, UN-led efforts to ramp up support to the country’s embattled health workers have continued, with the first shipment of lifesaving supplies due to arrive in neighbouring Poland in the coming hours.
Initial concerns about a lack of medicines to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes, gave way on Wednesday to an alert from the WHO that “people will die” if they do not get oxygen and other supplies for urgent emergency care.
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“Some of us have been in this game a long time and we’ve developed very thick skins, but when you see nurses mechanically ventilating infants in basements of hospitals, even the toughest of us, we struggle to watch that.
“And those heroes that are there, (they’re) mainly women in those basements who are taking care of those kids,” Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s Emergencies Programme said.
At a press conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO, added that 36 tonnes of materials for trauma care and emergency surgery were on their way from a WHO hub in Dubai – enough to meet the needs of 1,000 patients.
Additional health supplies will also be available for another 150,000 people, Ghebreyesus added, and the UN agency is also hoping to deliver oxygen from neighbouring countries to where it’s needed.
Prior to the conflict, the UN health agency distributed emergency supplies to 23 hospitals in Ukraine, but WHO director-general cautioned that prepositioned materials in Kyiv were “currently inaccessible”.
According to him, at least three major oxygen plants in Ukraine have now closed.
“There is an urgent need to establish a corridor to ensure humanitarian workers and supplies have safe and continuous access to reach people in need,” WHO chief emphasised.
He also expressed serious concern at “several” unconfirmed attacks on hospitals and health infrastructure since the Russian offensive began last Thursday.
“Attacks on healthcare are in violation of international humanitarian law,” he said, before underscoring the “sanctity and neutrality” of health care, health workers, patients, supplies, transport, and facilities.
“The right to safe access to care, must be respected and protected,” he said. (NAN)
