Just a week ago, doctors of the Main Military Clinical Hospital were asking volunteers to donate blood, for there was a shortage of it for the wounded counter-terrorism soldiers and officers. The first call came on June 6, when the first wounded were admitted. Some of them were in a very serious condition. Within a few days, about 200 people came to give blood – twice the usual number. Doctors say some are bringing almost the entire family to the donor center.
At 9 a.m., when the center opened, several dozen volunteers were standing in the line. They first gave blood to type it and then went to the operating room. They are usually active or retired servicemen. There are also civilians, including girls, among those who come. One of them, Kateryna Ilyina, says that nobody will ever give her weapons, so she thinks she can help soldiers at least in this way.
“Ukraine must beat this evil in the shape of terrorists and Chechen mercenaries,” says Colonel Mykola Zakala who stands in the line to the operating room. “This is my contribution to the recovery of our fighters. I’d like them to feel our support.”
On the whole, the motivation of most volunteers is the same – if not I, then who? Already lying on the operating table, Borys Mostovy found strength to tell me that he wanted to go to the army, for he had seen service, but he was turned down for reasons of age – he is over 50. Opposite him there was Andrii Donchak, a student at the Ministry of Defense National University. He says this is the least he can do to help the wounded.
Blood Center chief Anatolii Zamkovy says there were instances when a soldier needed 25 or even 50 liters of blood. There are about 60 servicemen in the hospital now. They come from various nooks of the country. They usually have gunshot and blast wounds, with various parts of the body – head, thorax, and abdomen – being injured. Zamkovy explains that Kyiv’s hospital admits the most seriously injured servicemen. When the warriors get better, they will be transported closer to the places of service and residence for rehabilitation.
