'We All Need To Step Up': Boston Doctors Teach Ukrainians How To Treat Wounds Of War
BOSTON (CBS) - Inside Brigham and Women's Hospital, saving a life is something that happens every single day, around the clock.
But what about saving lives on the other side of the world? Oncology surgeon and Ukrainian native Dr. Nelya Melnitchouk is using her first language to teach Ukrainians how to treat the wounds of war.
"I think all Ukrainians right now feel the same way. We need to do something. This is the smallest thing I can do; I wish I could do more. I'm very grateful to be here to be able to provide that," she said.
Dr. Eric Goralnick has been a passionate promoter of the Stop the Bleed program; training regular people to apply pressure, pack a wound, or apply a tourniquet to someone who's suffered trauma.
The campaign is funded by the Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. Dr. Goralnick is the Stepping Strong military-citizen advisor.
"On average it takes seven minutes for EMS to respond to a call. Someone could bleed to death in that time frame. Stop the Bleed is about empowering you, the public, to save lives," he explained.
The training video will be shared on social media and with medical colleagues in Ukraine and around the world. This is personal for these physicians. All of Dr. Melnitchouk's in-laws still live in Ukraine.
"We don't know what's going to happen. They are in a smaller village. Hopefully they will be okay, but we don't know. It's obviously very painful and we are still processing this whole thing," she said.
And for emergency medicine physician Dr. Goralnick, it's a way to honor his grandparents who were born in Ukraine.
"It's my privilege," Goralnick said. "The world is a challenging place right now. We all need to step up. This is one way we can help. We're going to do more."