World Extreme Medicine in Axminster sets off today (Friday, April 29) to deliver trauma care to Ukraine's frontline.

A series of Medics4Ukraine convoys leave the town carrying highly specialised and focused medical equipment.

The first convoy successfully delivered its cargo of urgently needed medical supplies directly into Ukraine in early April carrying tourniquets, airway management kits, paramedic bags and bespoke trauma kits for improvised field hospitals.

This convoy will transport blood clotting agents, analgesic pain relief and antibiotics directly to frontline units including those in besieged cities such as Mariupol, Kherson and Kharkiv.

Mark Hannaford, founder of World Extreme Medicine, said: “What makes these convoys different is the network of medics helping us inside Ukraine, which means we can bypass many of the checkpoints and bottlenecks to get to the people who most need trauma kits the most.

“Hospital staff in Ukraine are working non-stop in dangerous conditions, with resources diminishing by each passing day.

"We have been in direct contact with Ukrainian medical professionals, and their current situation is only set to get worse.”

Drawing on the experience of organising successful medical equipment convoys to Syria and Myanmar the team have contacts, medical expertise, and the logistical setup to deliver convoys directly to hospitals on the frontline in Ukraine.

Mark added: “The objective is to send over multiple convoys throughout the conflict, which will each time supply medical equipment that is most in demand.”

“The convoy has delivered lifesaving equipment. We are all medics.

"We talk the same language - the World Extreme medics can get us exactly what we so desperately need,” said Dr Olinsky, an emergency doctor stationed in Lviv.

“This was not an easy journey to make due to the nature of the conflict and the flow of the refugees out of Ukraine."

To find out more information and donate to the ‘Medics4Ukraine’ visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/medics4ukraine