An ambulance from Duck Mountain Ambulance Care in Kamsack was due to arrive in Ukraine on Monday to begin treating the wounded in that country’s conflict zone.
The former Kamsack based ambulance is one of three from Saskatchewan and one from Alberta that were donated, according to a release from Dave Dutchak of MD Ambulance Support in Saskatoon.
The ambulances left the port of Halifax on August 11 and were due to arrive in Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday.
MD Ambulance, under the leadership of Dave Dutchak, past-president and CEO of MD Ambulance, announced on Friday that after several months of hard work and lobbying governments, ambulances from Canada would be sent to Ukraine for medical support to front line health care workers.
The Ambulances for Ukraine project is a co-operative humanitarian effort that will get this vitally important equipment to front-line medical and health care workers, said a release from MD Ambulance.
“People around the world have watched with dismay the crisis that has unfolded in Ukraine, a crisis that has had a devastating impact on the country, its infrastructure and its people,” the release said. “The ambulances are a practical, tangible way that Canadians, and in particular, the Ukrainian Canadian community, can help a war-torn country.
“There has been a tremendous amount of time and effort put in by all of our volunteer committee representatives over the past 18 months to make this dream become a reality” said Dutchak, who is a founding member of Paramedic Chiefs of Canada. “We want to thank all of the Emergency Medical Services and Crestline Coach which have agreed to donate ambulances to this humanitarian project.
“Without other key partners that include the Paramedic Chiefs of Canada, Saskatchewan Emergency Medical Services Association (SEMSA), the Government of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan – Ukraine Relations Advisory Committee (SURAC), the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), UCC Saskatchewan and EuroMaidan Canada, this idea or concept would have not come to fruition.”
The Duck Mountain ambulance is a 2005 model which has been working in the Kamsack area for four years, Jim Pollock, owner of Duck Mountain Ambulance Care, said, adding that his company decided to upgrade his fleet, but instead of donating a less desirable unit agreed to donate this model. The company’s previous three units that had been decommissioned were traded to an oil company for industrial safety work.
Phase one of this project, the shipment of the four ambulances is already underway,” the release from MD Ambulance said. The ambulances are to be sent to hospitals treating the wounded from the conflict zone.
In addition to the ambulance from Duck Mountain, the other ambulances were donated by MD Ambulance in Saskatoon, Parkland Ambulance in Prince Albert and Associated Ambulance Services in Edmonton.
Displays and more information on the donation were to be on site at Ukrainian Day in the Park in Saskatoon on Saturday
