“This shipment, sent by land transport to a warehouse in Poland along the border with Ukraine, includes 204,000 units of medicines for hospital and outpatient use, including antibiotics, pain medicines, hydration serums, as well as 416,000 syringes and needles, among other products”, the Ministry said in a statement.

The Government also states that this shipment of medical material will be the first “of several donations”.

These donations are being prepared “with the support and collaboration of associations in the field of medicines and medical devices in accordance with lists of needs for goods and services expressed by the European Commission and the national authorities of the Member States”.

Additional donations

“In addition to the donations that make up this shipment, additional shipments of products from national pharmaceutical laboratories are still being prepared,” he adds.

The European Civil Protection Mechanism made it possible to donate material for temporary emergency accommodation, such as bed linen, food rations, kitchen utensils and hygiene kits.

“Portugal also made available 603 beds in hospital units of the National Health Service (SNS) for emerging patients, whose treatment can no longer be guaranteed in Ukrainian hospitals, of which 495 beds are in the wards and 108 beds in intensive care units (adults, pediatric, neonatal and burn patients)”, adds the statement, adding that “the number of beds may be increased, depending on needs and available capacity”.

The Government also states that INEM has “its medical and professional emergency module ready […], in case it is activated through the European Civil Protection Mechanism”.

In a later shipment, “blood components and drugs derived from plasma from blood donors will be made available, specifically: 500 units of fresh frozen plasma from quarantine, 2,000 units of group A detergent solvent-treated plasma and 10,000 units of human albumin for polytraumatized and burned”, adds the MS note.

The same document adds that “donations of medicines and medical devices must be coordinated by official entities, not only to respond to the needs listed by the receiving country, but also to ensure adequate packaging, without jeopardizing the quality and safety of the articles”.