A Welsh doctor has driven a third ambulance all the way to Ukraine as part of a campaign to deliver emergency healthcare to victims of the war, just days after the first donated ambulance was shelled by Russian forces. Dr Aled Jones, who lives in Cardiff, drove the first two NHS ambulances from Merthyr Tydfil to London, where they were handed over to representatives from humanitarian charity British-Ukrainian Aid, who then drove them to Ukraine.
The first ambulance, which had travelled more than 2,000 miles, was struck by a missile in the southern city of Mikolaiv. On Friday evening, Dr Jones drove a third ambulance from Merthyr directly to Ukraine himself, crossing the border on Sunday night, before handing them over to a representative of British-Ukrainian Aid, who will drive it to the frontline. As well as vital medical aid, the ambulance was packed full of spare parts to repair the first damaged ambulance, donated for free by Euro Commercials, a Swansea-based Mercedes-Benz car dealer.
The 'Ambulances for Ukraine' Go Fund Me campaign was launched in March by Dr Mateo Szmidt, an emergency medicine consultant at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, after he heard of a similar initiative in Poland. You can read more about how the campaign began here. The plan was initially to raise money to buy one decommissioned NHS ambulance, pack it full of medical supplies, and drive it to the frontline, with the help of British-Ukrainian Aid. But after a huge influx of donations to the cause - with almost £27,000 having already been raised - and the help of private donors, six ambulances have now been bought, the fourth currently in Poland.
