Syrian docs are serving to Ukrainians put together for a chemical weapons assault

A A number of days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I acquired an uncommon message on Twitter. A Syrian launched himself as Mustafa Kayyali.

“We’re a bunch of docs specializing in paramedics, trauma and battle medication,” Mustafa wrote. “We have now suffered from the aggression of the Russian armed forces for the previous eight years and we have now skilled individuals to cope with pressing circumstances and save their lives. We wish to assist Ukraine and its individuals.” He made it clear that Syrian docs have distinctive expertise in treating victims of chemical weapons assaults. Chemical weapons have been repeatedly used in opposition to civilians in Syria by the military of dictator Bashar al-Assad and the Russian forces supporting him.

I’ve forwarded Mustafa’s message to my contacts. Two weeks later I used to be knowledgeable that the primary coaching of Syrian docs for Ukrainian docs had been carried out. Others adopted, and to this point a number of thousand Ukrainian docs have been skilled by Syrian medics on easy methods to cope with sufferers who’ve suffered the usage of chemical and organic weapons. The trainings are given by Dr. Abdullah Abdulaziz Alhaji, MD, a basic surgeon. He’s President of the Academy of Well being Sciences, which was based in Syria in 2011 after the beginning of the battle to supply medical coaching to native docs and civilians. It at the moment runs paramedic, nursing and bodily remedy packages.

“When the Syrian regime attacked our inhabitants, we suffered from the discount in medical employees. Many docs have been arrested, killed or fled Syria. We established our academy of 15-day brief programs to supply trauma first-aid coaching. There was once no paramedics or emergency specialists in Syria,” explains Dr. Alhaji. “Over time, Assad’s battle machine grew to become extra aggressive – extra bombings, extra grenades, extra rockets. The longer the battle lasted, the extra issues we did. The Syrian inhabitants suffered from the usage of chemical weapons. So we skilled our college students and taught them easy methods to deal with various kinds of accidents.”

The academy needed to transfer a number of occasions as a result of its premises have been destroyed by Russian air raids. She settled in Idlib, the area close to the Turkish border at the moment managed by opposition forces. “We have now been monitoring the state of affairs in Ukraine for a number of months and thought we must always assist the docs there,” says Mustafa Kayyali, Vice President of the Academy of Well being Sciences. “Lots of my colleagues studied in Ukraine, labored there and we knew that it’s a loving nation.”

He continued: “We’re blissful to assist as a result of the individuals of Syria and Ukraine are combating the identical enemy.”

The expertise of Syrian medics with sufferers affected by chemical weapons caught the eye of Ukrainian docs. With NATO and the US warning that Russia might use such banned weapons in Ukraine, the urgency to arrange will increase.

“When Russia began bombing civilians and residential areas in Ukraine, we misplaced all illusions that it could cease and act inside the framework of worldwide humanitarian legislation,” says Mladena Kachurets, former Deputy Minister of Well being of Ukraine and director of the Division of Human Sources Improvement and Coaching at Dobrobut, one of many largest non-public clinics in Kyiv. She instantly responded to the concept of ​​the Syrian docs. “We understood that we should put together for the worst, that we have to be prepared and can’t ignore a risk of chemical weapons assaults,” says Kachurets. After a profitable introductory session that introduced collectively a small variety of Ukrainian and Syrian docs through video hyperlink, 4 on-line lectures have been scheduled, open to all medical employees in Ukraine. The primary two came about ten days in the past.

“The curiosity in these lectures was very excessive, each from docs and nurses. We promoted the coaching on social media and greater than 13,000 individuals expressed curiosity. Medical employees from all components of Ukraine, together with medical employees from hospitals in battle zones, joined them on-line,” Kachurets stated.

Learn extra: What it takes for Ukraine to win the battle

“We posted the recordings on Fb and YouTube so those that could not be there stay might watch them later. We are actually engaged on a Ukrainian translation to make sure that each physician and nurse in Ukraine can entry the lectures.” Thus far, the recordings have been considered greater than 30,000 occasions. Extra are deliberate, together with lectures aimed on the basic Ukrainian public.

Yuliya Shuklina, MD, head of the ENT division at a significant Kyiv hospital, has lived on the premises of her hospital together with tons of of colleagues since Russia invaded Ukraine, working day and night time treating the wounded and persistent ailments.

“The battle modified us all,” says Dr. Shuklina through video name throughout a brief break between treating sufferers and earlier than a siren asserting an air raid warning in Kyiv interrupts our dialog. “Within the first days of the battle I used to be very confused. I’ve 26 years of expertise as an ENT surgeon however I’ve by no means handled sorting sufferers and treating fight accidents. We examine and watch lots of lectures lately.”

“‘I studied how to answer a chemical assault in school, however I forgot as a result of I by no means thought I might have to make use of it,'” she says. “On the session with Syrian docs, I realized easy methods to decide what the poison is and easy methods to assist accordingly. That is very completely different from a traditional damage when you possibly can see the consequences visually. This isn’t the case with the victims of a chemical assault, you can not assess the injury with the bare eye.”

“We actually admire Syrian docs sharing their first-hand expertise. I not panic once I hear about the opportunity of a chemical assault. I’ve an algorithm easy methods to commerce. Now I do know I will not be confused, I will not be a burden and I may help,” says Dr. Shuklina. “However I hope that this data stays solely concept.”

After the classes, Dr. Shuklina to the hospital administration and requested them to order antidotes, which differ relying on the weapon used. “These days, lots of humanitarian assist, together with medicines, is delivered to Ukraine,” says Kachurets, the previous deputy minister of well being. “However our docs are centered on what they should deal with injured individuals with a number of trauma, shrapnel wounds and damaged limbs. I didn’t see any chemical assault preparedness private protecting tools of their lists of obligatory provides. I feel it ought to be added to the inventory lists, and antidotes for various kinds of toxins have to be stocked prematurely.”

For his half, Kayyali hopes to arrange some face-to-face lectures for Ukrainian docs sooner or later. “If there’s a protected place someplace in Ukraine, we want to journey there and maintain an in-person session,” he says. He now has a message for his Ukrainian colleagues: be sturdy and practice extra individuals for medical assist.

“The battle can final a very long time, years, we Syrians know that. Due to this, it is advisable to educate extra individuals, together with most people. Individuals have to be skilled to deal with these affected by chemical weapons and even nuclear weapons,” says Kayyali. “You are coping with criminals and you may count on something to occur.”

Contact us at letters@time.com.