Colin Gibson, group services manager at Black & Lizars, has completed a 3,980-mile trip to Ukraine and delivered ophthalmic equipment and supplies to three hospitals.
Doctors in Ukraine, who were in urgent need of optical medical equipment to provide care, were put in contact with Gibson who organised the trip with Ukrainians living in Glasgow.
Igor Vodolazschii, a language teacher; Oksana Mavrodi, deputy conductor at the Glasgow Philharmonic Male Voice Choir; and Vlad Shumeyko, consultant surgeon at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, communicated with hospitals in Chernivtsi, Sokal and Lviv.
The journey across Europe from Scotland to Ukraine started on April 23 and the team arrived at the Poland-Ukraine border on April 28 where equipment was reloaded into Ukrainian vehicles.
They transported three-and-a-half tons of ophthalmic equipment, including phoropter heads, slit lamps, 700 new frames and 450 refurbished spectacles, as well as medication and medical supplies.
‘Black & Lizars is requesting the aid of fellow optical professionals and establishments on behalf of Ukrainian ophthalmologists. Black & Lizars supplies directly to Chernivtsi hospital, Sokal community hospital and Lviv Community hospital in addition to any others requesting assistance,’ Gibson said.