Three medical institutions in eastern Ukraine have received oxygen concentrators from Poroshenko Foundation, the press service of the European Solidarity party reports.

"A well-known dentist among the military, the founder of the Trident FM volunteer radio station Ihor Yaschenko and a participant in the war against Russian aggression, blogger Hlib Babych delivered the concentrators to Ukrainians living near the demarcation line and the soldiers who defend the state," the message says.

The first destination was the primary health care center in the town of Selidove, Donetsk region, which serves 38,000 residents. According to Olena Marchenko, director of the Selidovsky primary health care center, there are 68 patients diagnosed with coronavirus in the community now. They are treated on an outpatient basis, so concentrators are essential.

"It is very important for us that the Petro Poroshenko Charitable Foundation provided us with these devices. They are convenient to use. Moreover, they are expensive, and, unfortunately, people cannot afford to purchase such medical devices," the doctor says.

Selidove central city hospital for patients with coronavirus is equipped with 50 beds. But they are not enough, as well as oxygen for seriously ill patients.

The doctor of the infectious diseases department Iryna Perepelytsia says: "Given the large overload in the department, we do not have enough concentrators. And today we were given two concentrators and pulse oximeters from the Petro Poroshenko Foundation to help the hospital and sick COVID-19 patients. We are very grateful for this help."

"Why is it so important here, in the East? These people may never remember Poroshenko or 'Sprava Hromad' (Community's Affair). But for them this is the help that Ukraine has given. This is a question of local mentality, and this is very important. These are our people, and we take those steps that convince them more and more - we take care of them here," Yaschenko says.

Two more concentrators were brought to Pokrovsky military hospital, where more than 20 military personnel are being treated for coronavirus disease.

According to the information, the provision of medical institutions with oxygen equipment is still in the priorities of the Poroshenko Foundation and volunteers from the NGO Sprava Hromad. "This is the first small drop. 52 concentrators. By the New Year there will be 100. And fewer and fewer people during the epidemic will risk dying from lack of oxygen," Babych says.