A CHARITY chief from the Wee County recently travelled to Ukraine to help deliver emergency medical supplies for mothers and newborn babies.

Jonny Miller, managing director at Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, was part of a three-man, two-truck team to assist the work of Maternal and Childhealth Advocacy International (MCAI).

The Scotland-based charity delivered vital equipment such as drugs, power generators, oxygen monitors and ultrasound probes and scanners to hospitals across the war-torn country following months of work.

In 15 days they travelled across seven countries to deliver the supplies with Jonny volunteering to drive one of the vans.

The managing director said in a social media post: “It was recently my pleasure to accompany these two amazing men, Professor David Southall OBE, director of MCAI and Dr John Philips, chair of Rotary International, to deliver essential medical equipment to hospitals in Ukraine.

“Despite being both in their 70s, they travelled across seven countries in 15 days to ensure the safe delivery of vital equipment for maternity wards across Ukraine.”

According to an interview with Prof Southall in the Advertiser's sister title, The Herald, it was a gruelling journey through France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Poland until they reached an agreed handover point on the border with Ukraine where they were met by three Ukrainian women tasked with distributing the goods.

Prof Southall, a 74-year-old consultant obstetrician and professor of paediatrics, told the Herald that the situation in Ukraine is the worst he has seen in over 25 years of aid missions, including to Bosnia, Sri Lanka, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

"There's a loss of humanity everywhere,” he said. “There's no rules.

“The Russians have the most immense power, and numbers, and they're committing a war crime every minute.

“And what's happening? Nothing. They're not being stopped.

“And they're not being stopped because of the threat of nuclear war.

“That's the difference. There's this threat in the background.”

Funding and equipment for the first shipment – which cost around £150,000 – came from a combination of donors, including International Rotary, the Australia-based DAK Foundation, MCAI, and Glasgow-based courier, Pack & Send – owned by Alloa man Malcolm McArdle, which provided a second van to transport the equipment.

Prof Southall is planning a further trip, this time solo, to deliver more supplies with fundraising ongoing.

Clack CAB's Jonny is urging people to visit justgiving.com/campaign/ukrainematernityhospitals to donate if they can.

He added: “Well done and thank you to the Clackmannanshire CAB Board for allowing me leave to assist in this valuable work.”