A year ago, the "Ambulance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine" project to help the military began working in the "Podorozhnyk" chain of pharmacies. During this time, the company handed over 40 special vehicles — ambulances and passenger cars. Every month, the chain of pharmacies transfers one ambulance and several SUVs.
"The first batch was independently found abroad and handed over to the Kyiv military unit. In the events near Kyiv, our carriages took a direct part in taking out the wounded. We understood that there is no need to stop, because there is a lack of ambulances, because these are not ordinary cars and it is much more difficult to find them," noted CEO of the "Podorozhnyk" pharmacy chain Taras Kolyada.
CEO of the “Podorozhnyk” pharmacy chain Taras Kolyada.
Ambulances are mainly used in the near rear. "They donʼt get on the collision line, because the enemy first of all wants to destroy the car. They [the enemyʼs fighters] understand that they [the Armed Forces of Ukraine] are transporting a wounded person, so the role of the car is very important. The wounded are first taken by SUVs to a certain point, and then an ambulance takes them to the hospital," says an employee of the "Podorozhnyk" pharmacy chain.
Cars from the "Podorozhnyk" chain of pharmacies also reach the units of its employees who are currently at the front. One of these cars was sent to the unit of their colleague Denys.
The "Podorozhnyk" team provided at least three or four units of Ukrainian Armed Forces with cars.
"For us, cooperation with Podorozhnyk is very important, because cars at the front are consumables that can "live" for 5 minutes or several days due to shelling. They save not one, but dozens of lives. I am in contact with the defenders 24/7, and after handing over the car, they often say that they were able to install the necessary weapons on it and destroy the enemy group. "Podorozhnyk" team provided at least three or four units of Ukrainian Armed Forces with cars," an officer of the mobilization department of the Galicia-Frankivsk center Yevhen Galetskyi declared.
At the initiative of the network, every car for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which arrived from abroad, is checked at a car service center — all the necessary parts are changed and made in perfect condition. If there is a request, the cars are painted in dark colors, equipped with tires and medicines or products are added.
The team of the "Podorozhnyk" chain of pharmacies handed over 40 special vehicles to the defenders.
Project manager Orest Ivanyo says that from the moment of the request to the transfer of the car to the front, about two weeks pass. "Sometimes we are told that cars are needed "for yesterday" [too much soon] and are asked to find them very urgently. Then we explain it to our partner from abroad and ask them to help us as soon as possible. We fulfill urgent requests not in two weeks, but in four or five days."
The "Podorozhnyk" chain of pharmacies clarified that the project team is constantly in contact with the Lviv assembly centers in order to quickly respond to the militaryʼs requests for help. The initiative will continue in the future.