Teaching of hand therapy in Ukraine

Hi, my name is Dr Anita Clerke PhD, Accredited Hand Therapist. In June this year I am going to Ukraine to teach hand therapy in the hospitals. The photo I’ve chosen of myself was taken at the dawn ceremony on Anzac Day a few years ago. I’ve chosen this particular photo to represent the times we pause to think of the lives lost and injured through war. Now is also a time to support those affected by war.

My Ukrainian trip is being coordinated, but not funded by the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine (they are struggling to find and maintain ongoing sponsors). They have invited me to teach in the large public hospitals and some smaller private clinics ran by philanthropists. The centres are in five different towns, not on or near the front line. I will be teaching the therapists who have bravely remained behind to help those in need. Occupational Therapy is a new profession there. They are keen to have hands on teaching that will compliment their online learning. I have been an Occupational Therapist for 38 years and a hand therapist for 28 of those years and will be teaching a wide range of practical hand therapy skills to their Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists. These will include beginners, intermediate and advanced levels of rehabilitation for musculoskeletal injuries such a broken bones, swollen hands, hand amputations and significant wounds and skin loss due to trauma. My Ukrainian sponsoring group do not have the funds to financially support the trip. Can you help?

One night’s stay in a hotel in Kyiv costs USD$80 and in smaller towns it is about USD$60 a night. Over the 6 weeks that I will be volunteering this will add up fast.

Can you please consider sponsoring 1 or even 2 nights accommodation?

To reach some of the cities will require an overnight train or a 10-16 hour bus trip. Would you donate for an intercity train or bus trip?

Costs: USD$85 to USD$125 for an overnight sleeper cabin.

Another expense is that the Ukrainian Government now have compulsory health insurance for foreigners set at 2.65€ per day. This equates to AUD $185 at this present time.

I will need to pay to be escorted across the boarder for safety reasons. This will require payment to the escort. If you’d like itinerary details I can send them in a private message.

Donations of goods is being coordinated later this year. For now, I will be teaching with the equipment that they have on hand and supplies that they have regular access to.

Some of the funds raised by this campagne will go towards equipment for the OT departments, such as to buy sewing machines so that the therapists can sew items such as neoprene amputation stump socks for new, sensitive stumps. They will also be able to sew palmar pockets for holding tools when the hand is fingerless, or to sew Velcro straps onto splints, braces and casts. Being able to sew Lycra pressure garments to decrease scarring has a huge impact on function and range of motion of a joint covered in young scar tissue. Sewing machines that are of an industrial strength can also sew and adapt gloves for hands with missing fingers to keep them warm in the winter. There’s not much an OT can’t do with creativity, a sturdy sewing machine, a bolt of thick Lycra and a meter of neoprene!