“I would not call it fear, it is seriousness and concentration. We know where we are going, it is not a resort or a spa, we are developing into a warring country, ”said anesthesiologist resuscitator Vilma Traškaitė-Juškevičienė from Kaunas clinics.
Her colleague from Santara clinics, nurse Jurga Žukauskaitė, stated that she was calm “because there is no other way”.
“It simply came to our notice then. It is necessary, go ahead, “the doctor said, adding that the decision to go to Ukraine was made without thinking for a long time.
“Emotions stay on the sidelines, I can work hard,” she said.
The family was not told until the last minute
Two teams of 12 people each leave Kyjiv and its district on Friday. By the end of April, they will be assisting local medics who have been working in the war for more than a month and a half.
In late February, Russia invaded Ukraine and launched large-scale military action.
“Doctors and nurses in Ukraine are tired, they lack strength, they sleep in hospitals, so I hope we can help,” said Vytautas Plučas, a nurse at Šeškinė Polyclinic.
“We imagine that the reality will not be as good as in Vilnius, but we are ready for everything,” he added.
The doctor told his relatives about his decision only after receiving confirmation that he would definitely go to Ukraine.
“I signed up and didn’t say anything, that’s my decision. Now I said, it reacted very positively, ”said the nurse of Šeškinė polyclinic.
At that time, urologist Martynas Stanionis, a doctor at Kaunas clinics, stated that his relatives were “not impressed”.
“But it’s a normal reaction and a normal denial, a reluctance to spend,” he explained.
“War hits the heart”
Before going to Ukraine, doctors were trained to handle certain situations.
“Those trainings were very useful, they were with real relevant advice on what to take, what not to take, what you may need to do. There were no simulations or practical activities, ”said V.Traškaitė-Juškevičienė.
“But we have to remember that we are not military medics, we do not go to the battlefield or the military hospital. “We are going to a simple hospital, the same as we have in Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipeda,” she added.
The doctor stated that while working in Lithuania, “it is difficult to do something that may not be enough”.
“We want to do what we do best and have the biggest impact on the people of Ukraine. (…) As a colleague said today, that war has hit us all, ”said the doctor.
Sacred Work
According to Health Minister Arūnas Dulkis, the visit of other medics to Ukraine will depend on the outcome of these two missions.
“It’s like a start-up mission that will show you how much real help you need later,” he said earlier Wednesday.
According to the minister, other medical groups can be sent not only to Kyjiv, but also to other counties of Ukraine.
“Later, it is planned that it may be Odessa county,” Dulkys said.
These specialists will be paid salaries, allowances, daily allowances and accommodation. They will carry medical equipment and supplies with them.
Prime Minister I. Šimonytė, who returned from her visit to Kyiv this week, said that the determination of doctors and nurses to go to Ukraine seems even more important to her than before.
“It is a sacred work,” she said, escorting the medics.
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