100 First Aid Medical Ambulances to Ukraine project

The Swiss charitable association Free Ukraine is completing a joint humanitarian project with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to develop a national disaster medicine system.

The last 26 out of 100 new ambulances based on Toyota Land Cruiser J78, fully equipped with the necessary medical equipment, were delivered on February 21. This batch was purchased and delivered by Free Ukraine with the financial support of international partners: "Canada-Ukraine Foundation - 11 vehicles, AstraZeneca - 5 vehicles, and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom and Free Ukraine - 10 vehicles.

The new vehicles are unique Toyota Land Cruiser J78 all-wheel drive SUVs designed to operate in difficult conditions and have high cross-country ability. They are easy to maintain and have a large fuel tank, so they do not require refueling for up to 1000 kilometers. The diesel engine and the absence of complex electronics make them reliable to use. Due to their high ground clearance, these vehicles will help to reach remote areas and de-occupied territories to provide emergency medical care.

"We have implemented this project thanks to the dedication and joint efforts of our partners. These 100 off-road vehicles will strengthen the capabilities of emergency and disaster medicine and are already saving lives every day," said Hanna Lysenko, President of the Free Ukraine Association.

"As of now, the occupants have destroyed, damaged and seized over 560 ambulances. Meanwhile, shelling of medical facilities and ambulances continues. Getting to a call in time, delivering a wounded person to a hospital and providing him or her with the necessary medical care on the way means saving someone's life. That is why reanimobiles and evacuation vehicles are one of the top priorities! Thank you for them!" said Maria Karchevych, Deputy Minister of Health for Digital Development.

In total, the project for 100 new vehicles was funded by Free Ukraine in partnership with international organizations: The Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British-Ukrainian Aid, Aide Médicale et Caritative France-Ukraine, Yellowblue Force Foundation, Canada-Ukraine Foundation, Free Ukraine, and AstraZeneca with the support of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

The project also received priority attention from the Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland as part of the growing humanitarian cooperation between the governments of Ukraine and Switzerland.

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The Free Ukraine Charitable Association was founded in 2014 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. This non-profit organization brings together the Ukrainian diaspora as well as representatives of other nationalities in Switzerland and abroad who are committed to supporting Ukraine and working to make the country safe for life and health.

Since the beginning of the war, Free Ukraine has donated more than 200 ambulances and evacuation vehicles to Ukraine. With the support of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, in the summer of 2022, Free Ukraine launched a new mobile application MineFree (minefree.info), which provides citizens with access to up-to-date interactive maps of known explosive hazards and contains educational materials on mine risk.