Volunteers donate medicines to Ukrainian refugees

Bensenville, Illinois (CBS) – Hundreds of people in Chicago expressed their support for Ukraine on Sunday at a rally at the Magnificent Mile. They condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called on the United States to introduce a no-fly zone. Among the crowd were also several Illinois lawmakers.

The Biden administration and NATO have said the no-fly zone is not working yet.

But on the table is the help of 100,000 refugees fleeing their war-torn country. A group of Chicago doctors is on a mission to help some of the most vulnerable.

The Ukrainian Medical Organization of North America on Sunday was preparing for the second time to send medical supplies from Bensenville to Ukraine.

Chicago is home to one of the greatest Ukrainians in the country, and the city is preparing to welcome asylum seekers with open arms.

Yuri Serenbytsky works full time. He is a paramedic from Ukraine. Almost every day he packs tons of medicine to send abroad.

“I am a surgeon from Ukraine, and whatever they have, we have nothing here. We have the easiest, ”he said.

The organization is also working to bring affected Ukrainian servicemen and children to Chicago.

President Joe Biden announced on Thursday a plan to bring 100,000 Ukrainian asylum seekers to the United States.

Doctors in Chicago explained how their hospitals are ready and willing to treat them here.

“We have the skills, how we can treat, how we can help these people, and our efforts will be focused on talking to hospitals so they can accept these patients,” said Eugene Pavelko, clinical surgeon at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Logistics is complicated. Organizations such as UMANA are working with the Ukrainian embassy to obtain permission from the Ukrainian government to release these soldiers and children to give them permission to leave the country for treatment abroad.

The Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America coordinates the training, but does not know how many people. They say they are still awaiting reports from the State Department on how they will process asylum applications before Ukrainians can enter the country.

Boxes of supplies are expected to be shipped from O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday. It is expected that the process of treatment of Ukrainian patients will take at least a few weeks.