Targeted assistance with medicines during the war
The 9-1-1 chain has set up a bunker pharmacy in one of its Kharkiv pharmacies. There, employees collect requests for medicines from people living in towns and villages where pharmacies do not operate. Volunteers and local authorities also provide lists of necessary medicines. In this way, help becomes targeted.
The 9-1-1 pharmacy chain buys medicines ordered by volunteer lists at its own expense and then distributes them to people. The purchases are mainly made from domestic manufacturers – this is how the Ukrainian economy is supported in difficult war times. This has become a role model for charitable foundations, with which Pharmacy 9-1-1 actively cooperates in other projects.
Employees of the bunker pharmacy first label the medicines purchased by the network at their own expense, and then deliver and distribute them free of charge to residents of the territories under shelling or newly liberated from occupation, either on their own or with volunteers, military and police.
Pharmacy chain 9-1-1 was created in Kharkiv, so it is quite understandable that its management and employees care about the fate of Kharkiv citizens. Already on February 26, 28 stations of Kharkiv subway received 2 specially collected first-aid kits for citizens who had to hide there with children and their pets. Each of the 56 first-aid kits contains medicines and remedies designed to provide necessary assistance in case of injury or illness to at least 150 people! In addition, Kharkiv citizens in the subway received targeted assistance with medicines, vitamins, baby food and pet food during their entire stay.
Since the beginning of the war, the 9-1-1 Pharmacy Chain has purchased and distributed medicines, hygiene products and food for babies worth more than 8 million hryvnias to Kharkiv citizens and residents of the region! The assistance does not stop and will be provided by the network until the end of the war.
Not only Kharkiv region is in the zone of special attention of Pharmacy 9-1-1. Humanitarian cargoes arrive in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odessa regions. By any means and at any opportunity! There was a case when medicines were sent… by river. Volunteers took them and then distributed the medicines to local residents. For the people of Kherson, who were suffering under occupation on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe, this was a real salvation.
The animals are also in foster care
The 9-1-1 pharmacy network cares not only about people. It actively engages partners to help provide food and necessary veterinary medications for animals. To the owners of four-legged animals, who keep their own and shelter abandoned dogs and cats, employees of the network deliver food and vitamins provided by them. With the assistance of Pharmacy 9-1-1, veterinarians are constantly receiving medicines and vaccines from the network’s partners to help homeless animals.
Thanks to such fruitful cooperation in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region more than 40 tons of food for four-legged animals have already been distributed. And this figure is growing every day, because the delivery of food continues!
Not a pharmacy segment at all
High social responsibility pushed Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 to start helping the workers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region. They are provided with the necessary equipment, because the level and efficiency of assistance to civilians, who became hostages of war, depend on it. For this purpose, the network’s own funds are attracted.
Other pharmacy chains join in helping the rescuers. The result of the collaboration of Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 and “Desire Health” was the purchase of 200 fire hoses for the Kharkiv garrison of the State Emergency Service.
The Department of State Emergency Service in Kharkiv region thanks to the Pharmacy Network 9-1-1 received 180 individual medical kits and more than 80 sets of uniforms for rescuers, so that they could timely rescue people from under the rubble of houses and extinguish fires caused by enemy shells.
Cooperation between Pharmacy 9-1-1 and charitable foundations significantly expands opportunities. The Kharkiv garrison of the State Emergency Service, for example, received from American benefactors and colleagues a batch of Dräger PSS 4000 compressed air apparatuses, special shoes and equipment. And the employees of the fire department from Gannstedt, near Hamburg, handed over not only uniforms for rescuers, but also hydraulic scissors, special belts and stepladders to the unit of the State Emergency Service of Pesochyn village.
In October this year, with the assistance of the 9-1-1 Pharmacy Chain, the local fire department of Pesochyn village council received special rescue equipment and gear. Pesochyn village head Oleg Chernobay noted that in war conditions the resource of such equipment is used up much faster. Its timely renewal guarantees prompt response to emergencies and proper fulfillment of combat tasks. And this increases the number of lives saved.
With the help of Pharmacy 9-1-1, rescuers of local fire departments of Rogansky and Bezlyudivsky village councils of Kharkiv region received equipment and gear from the International Solidarity Foundation (Republic of Poland within the framework of the project implemented in cooperation with BGK (Bank of Regional Economy) and financed by the EU).
To date, Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 has facilitated the importation of 5500 individual medical kits worth 425 thousand conventional units and more than 250 tactical medical backpacks to Ukraine. Also thanks to its efforts 2 X-ray machines worth 70 thousand Euro each and 2 truckloads of medical equipment for Kharkiv hospitals were received.
Rare stamps as a token of appreciation
Pharmacy 9-1-1 not only provides necessities to those who save people during the war, but also does everything to popularize their activities. The idea of gratitude for the daily feat was reflected in the limited sheets of postage stamps “Kharkiv – the city of heroes” under the project “Own stamp”.
Pharmacists of Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 were the first to receive such gratitude. The stamp was redeemed on the Day of Pharmaceutical Worker in the “Main pharmacy of your city” in Kharkiv. It was carried out by a special permanent postmark with the symbolic slogan “To serve people – to do good” Kharkiv 61052 September 17, 2022. The redemption procedure was conducted by Yuriy Savchenko, the director of the Kharkiv branch of the Kharkiv Directorate of JSC “Ukrposhta”, and Yulia Zakrividoroga, the head of the “Main Pharmacy”, who has been on the front line of the pharmaceutical front since the first day of the war.
The next heroes of the postal project, launched on the initiative of the Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1, were the workers of the State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations in Kharkiv region. The redemption of stamps “Kharkiv – City of Heroes”, which reflect the everyday life of Kharkiv rescuers, was held on October 3 in Kharkiv.
In the festive ceremony on the basis of the 9th State Fire and Rescue Unit of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region took part the Chairman of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleg Sinegubov, the Head of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kharkiv region Major General Alexander Volobuev, representatives of Kharkiv Directorate “Ukrposhta” and Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1.
Tactical medicine: book, training and backpacks
The book “Greetings from Kharkiv”, written by Sergey Danielyan and Julia Klimenyuk, was published on the eve of the war. It was not presented to the general public in time – all plans were ruined on February 24. The authors put the book on sale for a charitable purpose: the money earned goes to the purchase and delivery of tactical backpacks. The publication about the history of domestic pharmaceuticals found its fans in America, Israel, Poland, Spain and Denmark. The funds transferred by them went to pay for the delivery of 100 tactical medical backpacks.
Many pharmacists, CAMs and pharmaceutical company employees are now on the front lines. With the assistance of Pharmacy 9-1-1, they received 500 life-saving tactical first aid kits. Pharmacy 9-1-1 also donated 60 medical backpacks, tactical stretchers and other first aid supplies to the combat zone.
Gratitude from the head of Kharkiv regional military administration Oleg Sinegubov, as well as awards from charitable foundations and military units showed the importance of assistance, accelerating our Victory.
But tactical medicine is not only backpacks for the military. Unfortunately, yesterday still peaceful towns and villages had to learn the rules of medical care, because enemy bullets and shells take lives and health of people not only at the front. So that everyone who has to take care of the wounded from time to time could master the MARCHE protocol, which is used in NATO countries, Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 organized a training on July 22-23 in Kharkiv with the support of the Department of Health Care of Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, in particular Maxim Haustov, and fully covered all the costs of its organization and conduct.
Employees of Pharmacy 9-1-1, Dobrogo Dnya Pharmacy and Desire Health, as well as emergency service rescuers – a total of 65 people – were trained in tactical medicine. Specialists practiced the use of tourniquets, indirect heart massage and artificial respiration techniques with each participant. After the training, everyone received first aid kits.
Tourniquets to stop bleeding have become an urgent need for Ukraine. At the request of APAU to support the initiative of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 provided financial assistance in the amount of UAH 4 million for the purchase of medical tourniquets. Also Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 purchased and provided its own outlets and pharmacies of Slavutich and Apteka Dobrogoi Dnya chains in Kharkiv with them.
Charity fund for Ukrainian pharmacists
It was born in May 2022 and named “Farmruh”. Pharmacy chain 9-1-1 created this charitable foundation to support the employees of the pharmacy industry of Ukraine in difficult times. And to express respect to the real heroes who serve patients to the last, risking their own lives. Many of them left the hot spots, but many remained in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhya, Krivoy Rog and other cities and villages of our country, which are subjected to shelling.
The charitable foundation promotes employment of colleagues who lost their jobs because of the war, searches for missing pharmacy workers and their relatives, in particular children, provides food, hygiene products, bedding, baby food, medicines and nursing items, as well as food for animals.
To find out the needs of Ukrainian pharmacists, a special questionnaire has been created and is posted on the Foundation’s Facebook page. First, the pharmacy worker who needs help fills it out, and then a representative of the Foundation contacts him or her to detail the request.
Farmrukh Charitable Foundation orders and buys bed linens, towels, blankets and pillows from manufacturers. Grocery kits are provided by charitable foundations and other non-governmental organizations. Our colleagues, who are now in difficult life circumstances, quite often need medicines. Pharmacy chains provide them with assistance from Farmrukh Charitable Foundation. Apteka Dobrogoi Dnya and Slavutich have already joined the assistance, although Pharmacy Chain 9-1-1 still provides the most medicines for those who apply to the Fund.
Currently, Farmrukh CF has already helped more than 200 pharmacists from different pharmacy chains. Feedback and gratitude from those who are cared for by the Foundation can be read on the Pharmrukh CF Facebook page.
