- Santa Clara Convent Foundation, led by Sister Lucía Caram, and Mensajeros de la Paz (Messengers of Peace), presided over by Padre Ángel, have presented this morning the #RetoHospitaldeCampaña (#CampaignFieldHospital) initiative, a solidarity campaign aimed at providing provisional and immediate care to the wounded in the War in Ukraine.
- The goal is to raise the two million euros necessary to build the hospital in the country.
- Approximately 4,000 people have already received assistance thanks to efforts of both organizations since the beginning of the armed conflict.
Barcelona, February 21st, 2023. It has been one year since the War in Ukraine began, and thousands of families continue to be in urgent need of assistance. In an effort to provide ongoing humanitarian aid and ensure access to healthcare for Ukrainians, Sister Lucía Caram, director of the Santa Clara Convent Foundation, and Padre Ángel, founder and president of the Association Mensajeros de la Paz, have launched the #RetoHospitaldeCampaña initiative. They presented this morning in Barcelona with the aim of raising funds for the construction of a field hospital that will provide immediate and urgent care to the injured in this armed conflict.
In total, 2 million euros are needed to establish the hospital. “With a Field Hospital, we can perform between 10 to 15 operations daily, which we estimate would save the lives of thousands of people”, says Sister Lucía Caram, director of the Santa Clara Convent Foundation.
The Field Hospital, expected to be operational within two to three months, will be staffed with medical professionals who will provide healthcare to the wounded. “It has been a year since the war began, and the needs have changed. While sending weapons may come to mind, the reality is that now, more than ever, what they need is assistance in building. From the hospital, they will be able to perform surgeries and stabilize the injured, both civilians and military. This is a top priority at the moment”, declares Sister Lucía Caram. “The access to areas where the conflict is most intense is sometimes very difficult. We have spoken with many soldiers, and they have told us that if they had access to medical assistance nearby, many of the people who have died could have been saved”, assures Padre Ángel, president of Mensajeros de la Paz.
During the campaign presentation, Dr. Yarouslau Compta, a Ukrainian neurologist from the Barcelona Clinical Hospital, was also present. This hospital will be involved in providing advice for the construction of the field hospital and will assist in equipping it for its operation. The event also featured the testimony of a Ukrainian soldier who traveled to Spain to receive medical assistance after being injured in the war.
Kiev: Starting Point for the Field Hospital
Sister Lucía Caram and Padre Ángel will travel to Kiev tomorrow to kickstart the project and open a humanitarian corridor to continue supporting those affected by the armed conflict. In this regard, they will transport a trailer with operating tables provided by the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital and the Barcelona Clinical Hospital. Additionally, another trailer will carry duvets, 35 generators, and medicines provided by the Ministry of Defense. The structure for the field hospital will be donated by the Valencian Community.
Over 4,000 People Assisted Since the Beginning of the Conflict
Since the war in Ukraine began a year ago, the Santa Clara Convent Foundation and Messengers of Peace have been actively involved in providing humanitarian aid to the country. Thanks to their invaluable work, around 4,000 individuals have received assistance from both organizations, which have made a total of 15 trips to Ukraine. The aid includes the delivery of 84 vehicles, primarily ambulances, 100 resuscitation kits with defibrillators and emergency backpacks, 2 trailers of medicines, 200 mobile phones and computer equipment, 6,000 duvets to combat the cold, surgical equipment, as well as the relocation of over 1,000 refugees to Spain and the transfer and management of medical and surgical care for injured soldiers in hospitals in Madrid and Barcelona.
