DENVER (PRWEB)
April 25, 2022

International Medical Relief, a non-governmental organization based in Denver, Colorado, has dispatched a team of medical volunteers to Poland to provide medical and dental care at a temporary housing shelter for 6,000 Ukrainian refugees.

“We have been told nearly five million refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries since Russia invaded the country in late February,” said Karla Prentiss, International Medical Relief Vice President of Development and Sustainable Education, who is one of the IMR team leaders in Poland. According to the UNHCR, the UN agency for refugees, the number of arrivals into Poland surpassed the two million mark within three weeks. Most of these refugees were women and children.

“I have been working in global health for 20 years, and this crisis is of a magnitude I’ve never seen,” said Prentiss.

Approximately 400-800 refugees arrive at the shelter on buses from Ukraine each day. They are registered and given food, shelter, medical and dental care, and access to laundry and showers.

Working in partnership with organizations from around the world, the International Medical Relief team of volunteers provides acute medical and dental care, OB-GYN and specialty medical care, and wound care for refugees. Medical providers also help patients manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

The International Medical Relief team currently serving is made up of primary care providers, emergency physicians, nurses, dentists, dental assistants, EMTs, and social workers. The team’s capabilities will vary each week as a new set of volunteers arrives, depending on their specialties.

In addition to providing hundreds of volunteers to staff the shelter in Poland over the course of the organization’s current six-week commitment to Polish officials, International Medical Relief is collecting donations to purchase medications and supplies their patients need.

“Donations will help us purchase specialized equipment such as AEDs and a portable EKG machine, as well as medications for acute and chronic conditions our patients may have, and educational materials our volunteers can share to help improve patients’ overall health,” said Shauna King, International Medical Relief President and Founder. “They will also help to pay for qualified translators so we can ensure gold standard communication with each of our patients.”

International Medical Relief is actively recruiting volunteers to serve weeklong assignments and is collecting donations. Information on how to volunteer and donate is available on the organization’s website, internationalmedicalrelief.org.

About International Medical Relief: International Medical Relief (IMR), a non-governmental organization based in Denver, Colorado, contributes to the world’s communities by improving the overall health and wellness of the people via medical and dental diagnosis and treatment, partnerships with local medical designees, community training, and fostering the principles of prevention. IMR recruits highly skilled, credentialed volunteers for medical, dental, and disaster relief trips throughout the year to deliver a much-needed suite of impactful services. Learn more at internationalmedicalrelief.org.

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