Select a region
Jersey is funding 51 mobile incubators to be sent to war-torn Ukraine as premature births rise sharply in the country.
Some of the money is coming from the Bailiff’s Ukraine Appeal, with the rest donated by a Jersey-based philanthropic foundation.
The money is being given to Crown Agents, an international development not-for-profit which is managing an emergency response to deliver vitally needed medical items into the country.
£200,440 is coming from the Bailiff’s Ukraine Appeal, which is being overseen by Jersey Overseas Aid and has raised £2.3m so far.
This includes £1m from taxpayers through a Government donation, and a £508,084 contribution from the JOA’s emergencies budget.
Islanders have given £764,155 in public donations.
As of last Friday, the appeal has awarded grants worth £2.2m.
Pictured: The UK-developed mOm incubators are lightweight, highly mobile and easy to set up and run.
These include other donations to Crown Agents: £400,000 to buy and deliver 4,000 trauma kits for the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, and £200,000 to provide 150 flak jackets and helmets for medics.
Referring to the latest grant, a spokesperson for Crown Agents said: “Amid the rise of premature births in Ukraine, UK companies are partnering together to deliver easy to use and highly portable incubators for prematurely born babies.
“Developed by British start-up company mOm, the mOm Essential incubator weighs only 20 kg and is compact compared to traditional incubators which can weigh up to 100 kg.
"In a conflict zone such as Ukraine, the mOm incubator can be used immediately by clinicians, without lengthy set-up or training times.”
They added: “Since the start of the war, stress and trauma have become a daily part of life for many of the 32 million Ukrainians who have remained in the country.
“Reports are now stating that this stress is having a negative effect on pregnant women with doctors seeing a sharp rise in premature births.
“Incubators are vital for saving the lives of these premature babies, ensuring they remain at a safe, stable temperature.
"The incubators also shield the child from excessive noise and commotion which can increase blood pressure, disrupt sleep and cause unnecessary stress.
“Yet, traditional incubators are inaccessible to many hospitals globally due to high costs, energy consumption and their size and weight.
"In Ukraine, the ease of use and compactness of the mOm incubator will help to reduce burdens on an already struggling healthcare system and overworked healthcare professionals.”
Crown Agents Chief Executive Fergus Drake said: “We are in constant contact with the Ministry of Health Ukraine through our long-standing work in country and emergency response.
“Incubators and their accessories are one of the main items they are asking us for right now. We’re delighted to be delivering the most cutting-edge medical goods that will ensure health professionals can provide the best possible care at this critical time.”
Pictured top: One of the mOm incubators. (St Peter's NICU, with thanks to parents)
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.