Medical Humanitarian Programme MEDEVAC
MEDEVAC is a permanent government programme of the Czech Republic, which focuses on providing medical care and assistance for vulnerable groups of persons in the countries affected by migration or burdened by a large number of refugees. The care provided is free of charge and exclusively for civilians - persons, who are in dire of such medical care or whose condition prevents them from leading a dignified life.
MEDEVAC in 2014
Implementation of the MEDEVAC Programme in 2014
The year 2014 was strongly influenced by the political events in Ukraine and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. That is why the MEDEVAC Programme focused on these events in 2014.
With regard to the situation in Ukraine, the Government of the Czech Republic issued a decision in the first half of 2014 to continue the MEDEVAC Programme focused on the injured Ukrainian nationals. In this respect, the government adopted two resolutions: 1) Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic of 26 February 2014 No. 128, regarding the continuation of the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) for the nationals of Ukraine, and 2) Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic of 5 March 2014 No. 146, regarding the expansion of the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) for the nationals of Ukraine and amending the Government Resolution of 26 February 2014 No. 128, regarding the continuation of the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) for the nationals of Ukraine. As part of the actual implementation of the MEDEVAC/Ukraine Programme (Resolution No. 128 and Resolution No. 146), the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health conducted two medical humanitarian airlifts of injured nationals of Ukraine. They were civilians of many professions (a poet, a lawyer, a sound engineer, a taxi driver) who had become victims of violent clashes with the police forces. A total of 39 patients and two statutory representatives of minor patients were transported to the Czech Republic within the MEDEVAC/Ukraine Programme. One patient succumbed to the consequences of his injuries in the territory of the Czech Republic. The last patient of the MEDEVAC/Ukraine Programme left the Czech Republic in February 2015. The treatment lasted between two and six months on average.
In the context of the crisis events that started to strongly manifest themselves in the eastern part of Ukraine and with regard to the development of armed conflicts in the world, the government of the Czech Republic adopted Resolution No. 495 on 25 June 2014 on the continuation of the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) for the nationals of Ukraine from the eastern part of Ukraine affected by the armed conflicts and on the continuation of the MEDEVAC Programme until the end of 2014. Due to the escalation of armed conflicts in the eastern part of Ukraine in the second half of 2014 and the related factors, Resolution No. 495 could not be implemented with respect to the medical evacuation of the nationals of Ukraine from the eastern part of Ukraine affected by armed conflicts.
Under a joint agreement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior, the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) continued to be implemented for Syrian refugees in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In this respect, the government of the Czech Republic adopted Resolution of 27 October 2014 No. 870 on the continuation of the programme of humanitarian evacuations of inhabitants with health issues (MEDEVAC) for Syrian refugees in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Resolution No. 870 was implemented through a short-term deployment of three Czech specialised medical teams in Jordan. They included specialised teams from Motol University Hospital (heart surgery, orthopaedics) and Bulovka Hospital (plastic and reconstructive surgery).
Between 11 and 19 November 2014, four specialists in paediatric heart surgery from Motol University Hospital performed ten surgeries in Syrian and Jordanian children with congenital heart disease at the Al Khalidi Medical Center. During the second stage, two more teams of Czech doctors (two orthopaedists, an anaesthesiologist and a plastic surgeon) at Al-Makassed Hospital helped 26 Syrian patients who had suffered serious injuries during the conflict in their country. Doctors from Motol University Hospital and Bulovka Hospital who were members of these teams conducted fifteen orthopaedic and eleven plastic surgeries between 29 November and 4 December 2014.
