A Leicestershire pharmaceuticals business has donated almost 60,000 packs, which will provide 1.29 million doses, of essential medicines to communities impacted by the war in Ukraine.
The significant donation by Loughborough-based Morningside Pharmaceuticals came about after the company’s founder and chairman, Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, spoke with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Vadym Prystaiko, at a business event in London.
Dr Kotecha, who was also recently appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire, said: “The heartbreaking situation in Ukraine has touched us all, and as like so many people in the United Kingdom, we’ve been keen to do everything we can to help the victims of this terrible conflict.
“After speaking to the Ambassador, the Ukrainian Embassy identified a range of Morningside manufactured medicines, which their healthcare system is in urgent need of. The Embassy and our teams at Morningside then worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the UK to ensure the medicines could be shipped rapidly as humanitarian aid.
“I would like to thank our International, Supply Chain and Warehousing teams for turning this around in a matter of days, to ensure those in urgent need of their medicines, received them as quickly as possible.”
The large shipment of medicines has been transported in a secure and temperature controlled environment via Morningside’s logistics partner to the Embassy’s distribution hub in Poland. From there the medicines will be supplied to hospitals, healthcare centres and patients throughout Ukraine, including the regions hardest hit by the Russian invasion.
Morningside Pharmaceuticals has also supported the aid effort in Ukraine by storing a large quantity of supportive goods, such as hundreds of packs of nappies, feminine hygiene packs, sleeping bags and children’s essentials in its Loughborough warehousing.
These goods were donated through Loughborough’s Polish associations and social clubs by members of the public and have now been delivered to support Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Dr Kotecha added: “We all hope for a swift resolution to the War in Ukraine, which brings an end to the suffering and atrocities taking place there. There has been a huge outpouring of support for people caught up in this terrible conflict, and it’s been humbling to see the enormous generosity of people in the UK for those suffering extreme and often life threatening hardships, due to no fault of their own.”
