A Sign of Solidarity and Humanity

About 1600 km separate the cities of Düsseldorf and Kiev as the crow flies, and it takes 14 hours to drive from here to the Ukrainian border. That is how close it is, the Russian war of aggression that is bringing immeasurable suffering to the Ukrainian population, fundamentally changing people's lives and invalidating the everyday things they take for granted. This also includes medical care, which can no longer be guaranteed on site or only functions to a very limited extent.

One of those who is actively and committedly involved in the care of sick and injured refugees from Ukraine is Dr Jens Hahn from Düsseldorf. He is part of a team that is made up of an association of different organizations. Together, the helpers arrange patient transports and ensure treatment in German hospitals. They plan routes and means of transport, organize treatment places, accompany, care for and support patients along the way. This was also the case last weekend, when Dr Hahn picked up patients and their relatives at the railway station in Hanover. The refugees came by special train directly from the Polish-Ukrainian border region. Dr Hahn and his team would have liked to pick up the refugees at the Ukrainian border and care for them on a voluntary basis during the train journey. However, this was prohibited by the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG). So that the patients could still start their journey to the treatment places organized for them, we made our company van available without further ado. Together with our colleague Natalia, Dr Hahn travels to Lower Saxony to welcome the patients. To everyone's relief, the condition of the patients is relatively good. After a warm welcome, they set off together on the journey to North Rhine-Westphalia, where the treatment places are already waiting for the arrivals.

For our bus, which in its everyday life is on the road as a logistician, trade fair vehicle or vanlifemodel, it is an unusual journey, but for Dr Hahn it is a helpful support: "In such a long rescue chain from the Ukraine to finally here in the clinic, many individual elements are important in order to be able to carry out the evacuation. I would like to thank all those involved who make this possible and explicitly the colleagues from Camper Active, who have already helped several times in word and deed to be able to transport sick and injured people from Ukraine to Germany to be treated here." If he could change his colour, our anthracite VW would have got all red mudguards at this point. Like for us, it is a matter of course for him to mobilise all his horsepower and drive off to help. Sometimes you just have to drive instead of park - or do instead of talk. Just like Dr Jens Hahn and his team. With every mission, every organised treatment site, every opportunity for medical care and every life saved, they set an example for humanity and solidarity. We are pleased to be able to support this incredibly important commitment.