REACT partners with MedResQ to provide lifesaving training in Ukraine

As Ukraine marks the second anniversary of its ongoing conflict, REACT is again mobilising teams of volunteers to deploy to support fellow responders working close to the frontline. Scheduled to deploy this coming weekend, teams from REACT Disaster Response will travel to areas including Nikopol and Marhanets to deliver vital incident management training, which includes a focus on trauma medicine. The response is in partnership with global medical assistance organisation MedResQ, which can provide medical support to people anywhere in the world.

The deploying teams, led by REACT International Operations Manager Paul Taylor and volunteer Responder GP Matt Ladbrook, are made up entirely of armed forces veterans who will use their skills and experience in the field to support and equip people who work in the shadow of daily conflict. 

London-based Responder Caz Bull is a paramedic and former army combat medic. She deployed with REACT to Ukraine in November 2023 to provide local groups with essential medical skills, including how to deal with catastrophic haemorrhages and complex tourniquet techniques. Caz said “I was a combat medic in the British Army with experience in Afghanistan, which is directly related to the kind of battlefield injuries that you see in Ukraine. Now a civilian paramedic, I have a set of really transferable skills and experience that can be used to support people living in complex environments like conflict zones.”

As a small charity, REACT depends on the generous support of partners and donors like MedResQ, to deploy in the wake of emergencies and disasters. In 2023, volunteers were able to respond to over 90 calls for help, including UK floods and the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco. 

Adam Hickman, CEO, and Founder of MedResQ, expressed his motivation for the collaboration: "At MedResQ, we are passionate about helping people; it drives and motivates us in everything we do. As a business, we are focused on providing our clients and patients with exceptional levels of medical support anywhere in the world. Whether it be through conflict or natural disasters, there are those who find themselves in dire situations without access to basic resources and healthcare. For this reason, MedResQ is proud to partner with and support the team at REACT, who volunteer their time willingly to provide immediate and expert on-the-ground support to those who need it most."

The partnership between MedResQ and REACT underscores the importance of collaboration in crisis, as highlighted by Toby Wicks, REACT CEO. "Thank you to Adam and all at MedResQ for supporting REACT’s work with the most vulnerable people in Ukraine. Our teams will be delivering this next wave of incident management training to local responders in hard-to-reach areas, providing them with essential kit to continue their critical humanitarian work. Quite simply, we couldn’t do what we do without you." 

Collaboration is paramount in responding effectively to humanitarian crises, as it enables organisations to pool resources, expertise, and networks to address sometimes complex challenges. In a world where humanitarian needs are increasingly diverse and interconnected, working together remains a cornerstone of effective response and recovery efforts.

To find out more about MedResQ and the services they provide, please visit www.medresq.com.