A group of Cypriot volunteer doctors and nurses who have been in the Romanian border town of Siret since Tuesday, are providing health care to Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country by car, bus or even on foot.
There are a lot of people crossing the border, CNA photographer Katia Christodoulou, who is accompanying the group, says, adding that because of the night curfew in Ukraine, the influx of refugees begins at first light.
The queue of cars is kilometres long, she notes, adding that there are also people who walk for ten hours on foot from Terebleche, the closest village in Ukraine. There are about 200,000 displaced people there, who are waiting to see whether the attacks will continue, to decide whether to flee their country completely.
According to information provided by local authorities, she adds, already approximately 600,000 refugees have crossed to Romania from Ukraine.
At the border, volunteers offer refugees a hot soup or drink, first aid is given if necessary.
According to the head of the Cypriot mission Dr. George Makrygiannis the Cypriot mission is the only volunteer mobile unit with doctors at the border town where it will remain until Monday noon, providing health care to refugees. The Cypriot medical team also helps out a team of Greek Red Cross nurses which is operating on site.
At the same time, the mobile unit also responds to calls for medical help from towns close by where refugees are being hosted.
Dr. Makrygiannis adds that there is definitely going to be a second Cypriot mission in the coming weeks.
Asked whether they have enough equipment and medicines he replies that what they have is sufficient. He adds that for more serious conditions where a specific drug needs to be purchased refugees are given financial help in order to be able to do so.
A family with two young girls, two-year-old Anya who cuddles her teddy-bear and six-year-old Roushia together with their cat Daisy pass the border with their car loaded. They tell Katia they are going to stay with friends in another Romanian city.
“We love our country very much and we want to return,” the family`s mother, Natalie, says, explaining that there was an airport close to their city which was constantly bombed and that is why they took the decision to leave.
