Richmond ambulance stocked with medical supplies donated to Ukraine

This article originally appeared on nbc12.com

Boxes of donated medical supplies from healthcare systems across Virginia will soon be stocked inside an ambulance from Richmond Ambulance Authority to help Ukraine as Russia continues to invade the country.

Unit 85 was donated by Richmond Ambulance Authority and will soon head over to Ukraine as part of a nationwide effort, called “U.S. Ambulances for Ukraine.”

RAA partnered with Virginia Hospital and Health Association, which helped coordinate donations from HCA Virginia, VCU Health, and the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System to fill the ambulance with medical supplies.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to have something that we are no longer going to be using continue to be put to good use,” said Chip Decker, who is the CEO of Richmond Ambulance Authority.

In March 2022, Chris Manson helped turn this idea to lend a helping hand to Ukraine into reality with inspiration from his daughter.

“Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February, as it was pointed out, my 7-year-old daughter Lily asked me what could be done to deal with this suffering, to help with this suffering,” he said.

Since the start of the program, the organization has helped facilitate the donation of 18 ambulances to Ukraine along with two tons of medical supplies and equipment including 60 AEDs and 100 IV pumps.

The ambulance donation from RAA marks the 20th for the organization.

“This ambulance right here will likely go to a community in the middle of Ukraine that’s been the target of missile strikes, drone strikes,” Manson said.

Manson said RAA’s ambulance donation will likely go to a fire department to help them transport the wounded.

“You can have the medic working around, so they’ll take full advantage of the size of the ambulance,” Manson said.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and leaders from Richmond signed the ambulance with messages for Ukraine.

Sen. Warner believes this effort will go a long way to save lives in Ukraine.

“This, in so many ways, represents kind of the heart of who we are as Americans,” he said. “It will literally save human lives.”

The ambulance will be at RAA headquarters for members of the community to stop by and write messages of support for Ukraine from Nov. 7-9 between 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The ambulance and medical supplies will head over to Ukraine on Nov. 10.