Editorial: Update on ESCRS Support to Ukraine

ESCRS PRESIDENT

Oliver Findl

MEDICAL EDITORS

Thomas Kohnen Chief Medical Editor

José Güell Paul Rosen

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL BOARD

Noel Alpins (Australia), Bekir Aslan (Turkey), Roberto Bellucci (Italy), Hiroko Bissen-Miyajima (Japan), John Chang (China), Béatrice Cochener-Lamard (France), Oliver Findl (Austria), Nino Hirnschall (Austria), Soosan Jacob (India), Vikentia Katsanevaki (Greece), Daniel Kook (Germany), Boris Malyugin (Russia), Marguerite McDonald (USA), Cyres Mehta (India), Sorcha Ní Dhubhghaill (Ireland), Rudy Nuijts (The Netherlands), Leigh Spielberg (The Netherlands), Sathish Srinivasan (UK), Robert Stegmann (South Africa), Ulf Stenevi (Sweden), Marie-José Tassignon (Belgium), Manfred Tetz (Germany), Carlo Enrico Traverso (Italy)

Update on ESCRS Support to Ukraine

The need for ophthalmic support in Ukraine has never been greater. ESCRS is continually monitoring the needs of our Ukrainian colleagues, gathering valuable input from EURETINA and the European Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ESOPRS), and asking our industry partners to help us meet these needs.

In particular, the Lions Eye Institute for Transplantation and Research, Alcon, BVI, and Zeiss have all stepped forward with very generous donations of equipment and material. The first three shipments (FCI products such as PMMA IOLs, orbital implants, silicone oil, Decalin, lacrimal probes, surgical loupes, and eye shields as well as a palette of surgical packs co-donated with Hartmann) from Zeiss have already arrived at our storage in Krakow.

Our storage site in Krakow is ready to receive equipment at any time, and it will then be forwarded to the clinic in Lviv and onwards as quickly as possible to where it is most needed.

Some pieces of equipment cannot be donated by industry, and ESCRS is prepared to use its own funds to purchase these. For example, we are looking at how best to get a phaco-vitrectomy machine for the ophthalmology As always, our department of Kyiv military hospital, where that team can thoughts are with use it for up to six operations our Ukrainian per day. ESCRS is also covering colleagues, their families, and their administrative, transport, and storage costs. However, more funds patients at this are necessary for a range of time, and ESCRS shall continue to purposes, including purchasing pharmaceuticals such as eyedrops and, later on, helping do all that we can with initiatives such as setting to support them. up a network of consultants to advise and arranging secondary trauma care at centres across Europe.

To this end, the Society has decided to establish a fund to accept financial donations, which will be directed exclusively to support ophthalmology-related relief efforts arising from the conflict in Ukraine. We can accept donations to the fund from ESCRS members as well as industry partners and fellow societies.

We are able to accept these donations via bank transfer. And, if you are an ESCRS member and wish to contribute, please simply log in at this link (https://appescrs-donations.azurewebsites.net) using your membership details to access information on how to donate, which is a straightforward process.

For industry partners or fellow societies, please email escrs@mcigroup.com for information on how to make your donation. We are especially grateful to both the Hellenic Society of Intraocular Implant and Refractive Surgery and the United Kingdom and Ireland Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons for already having made very generous donations to this fund.

As always, our thoughts are with our Ukrainian colleagues, their families, and their patients at this time, and ESCRS shall continue to do all that we can to support them.

Stay safe!

Oliver Findl President of ESCRS