Through the MEDEVAC HUB to Austria. The Story of Injured Patients
Natalia and Krystyna met in an ambulance on their way to Rzeszów. Natalia is from Bakhmut, and Krystyna is from Odesa. Both were injured and required treatment outside of Ukraine. Thanks to the MEDEVAC HUB Jasionka, run by the PCPM Emergency Medical Team, they can now travel to Austria for treatment.
The entire evacuation process is part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Initially, a patient from Ukraine is registered in the system, and then experts find a place for them in one of the hospitals in Europe. Once a place is confirmed, the patient is transported to Rzeszów by a particular medical convoy. At the MEDEVAC HUB, they come under the care of the PCPM Emergency Medical Team. In this way, since September 2022, almost 3,000 people have been brought to the HUB. Among them are Krystyna and Natalia.
– Most of the journey was a kind of rest after the night drive from Kyiv. We told each other that the worst is behind us and things will only get better – says Natalia.
Krystyna is going for treatment in Graz, and Natalia is going to Vienna. – Before they take us to the airport, we will spend a few days here (MEDEVAC HUB Jasionka). I am resting, but I have also received medical and psychological help, which is very helpful, – says Krystyna.
– For me, coming here was a big positive surprise. After a difficult journey, I immediately found myself in a friendly place where all the staff were friendly. They measured my blood pressure, I got my place and dinner – Natalia describes her impressions. – Tears immediately came to my eyes – she adds.
Russian rockets
In February, March, and April, the shelling of Odesa intensified significantly. Krystyna was walking with her husband to pick up her daughter from kindergarten when a rocket struck a nearby military unit. A fragment hit her in the arm, breaking several of her bones.
Natalia is from Bakhmut. Her daughter and son, with their children, left as soon as the war began. “I stayed with my husband because it’s hard to move anywhere at our age. One day, when we were returning from the store with my husband, a rocket hit near us, and my husband immediately lost both legs. It severed them with some fragments. Shrapnel flew in my direction and injured the left side of my body,” Natalia recalls these events. If it weren’t for the soldiers who were nearby, her husband would have bled to death, and it’s unknown what would have happened to her. The soldiers had bandages and quickly stopped the bleeding.
Krystyna and her husband were first taken to a hospital in Dnipro, from where they were transported to Lutsk. There, she underwent many surgeries, but despite this, her leg wouldn’t heal.
– My daughter found a website where she filled out a questionnaire and was qualified for treatment abroad. That’s how I found myself on the list of patients on the way to the MEDEVAC HUB Jasionka. At that time, my husband was waiting for surgery in Lviv, where they were going to create prosthetics for him.
Returns
Krystyna doesn’t know yet if she will return to Ukraine.
– If the war were to end, then definitely, but now you never know. At any moment, a rocket can suddenly fall anywhere. Natalia declares that as soon as she recovers, she will return to Lutsk. “My daughter-in-law gave birth to a granddaughter, I have to help her. My son died in February, and then my husband’s terrible wounds. So I want to help my daughter-in-law – Natalia explains. – I want to get rid of the wheelchair and return to normal life – she adds.
Now, both patients are focusing on recovering. As they emphasize, they will keep in touch in Austria, as they have already exchanged phone numbers.
– A shared journey and experiences bring people together – Krystyna emphasizes.
