President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska met with representatives of the UCD Centre for Emergency Medical Science (CEMS), a research and educational center within the School of Medicine at University College Dublin.
Representatives of University College Dublin, together with Ukrainians, launched the UCD Ukraine Trauma Project. Its main goal is to reduce deaths from massive bleeding on the frontline. Paramedics in Ireland have been using tranexamic acid (TXA) for this purpose for over ten years, but at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, there was no systematic way to implement it in Ukraine.
“We are very proud that such people stand alongside our warriors and civilians, alongside our doctors. We are very grateful to you and your nation. And personally, of course, for sharing with us the pain of this war,” the Head of State said.
Since the project began, eight training missions have taken place in Ukraine, over 600 relevant specialists have been trained, and an Irish-Ukrainian training team has been established. Thanks to this collaboration, not only has the number of lives saved in the first minutes after a wound increased, but the partnership between Ukraine and Ireland has also been strengthened.
“Thank you for training so many people. I think they will never forget this. And it is so important: in such an extremely tough period, to be on the right side of history. Thank you for your knowledge, expertise, and time,” the President emphasized.
The Head of State presented the “Golden Heart” awards to the lead researcher and head of the Ukraine Trauma project, Gerard Bury; to Rotunda Hospital consultant pediatrician and neonatologist, Associate Professor of the University College Dublin, Lyudmyla Zakharchenko; and to the deputy head of the Ukraine Trauma project, Chris Fitzpatrick.