KAPA‘A — Wool socks, wool hat and extra layers. A helmet and a bulletproof vest. A headlamp in case the power goes out. Sneakers in case he needs to run to a bomb shelter at night.
This is the packing list for Dr. Allon Amitai, who will leave behind his Kapa‘a home on Monday to embark on a five-week program as a volunteer doctor in Ukraine.
“It’s a way of showing support for some very brave people,” said Amitai. “I think it’s worth it. You have to be able to risk your life for something you believe in. But it doesn’t mean I’m not nervous.”
Amitai, who has served as an emergency physician at Wilcox Medical Center for the past eight years, previously volunteered his skills abroad in the Philippines and Myanmar. But this will be his first experience in an active war zone.
He will be working with the nonprofit Global Outreach Doctors several miles behind the front line, doing a combination of hospital work and medical evacuations. The group operates a fleet of ambulances that travel close to the front lines to transport civilians to hospitals in safer areas.
On Wednesday, Jan. 4, Amitai and the rest of his volunteer doctor group were briefed by military vets on different types of attacks they might experience in the field — small arms fire, artillery and drones.
“You have two options when you get attacked,” said Amitai. “Either duck for cover or run away. I’ve got my bulletproof vest and my helmet, but if Russian artillery randomly lands within 100 meters of you, those won’t be doing a lot of good.”
On Thursday, Jan. 5, he was at work un-camouflaging his backpack. Because the camo pattern could leave him mistaken for a military member, he spray painted the bag a nondescript gray.
While he is abroad, Amitai plans to leave his extensive garden of fruit trees and his pets — a cat and three hogs — in the care of friends.
Global Outreach Doctors has been providing medical support in Ukraine since early in the war, according to Founder and President Andrew Lustig.
“We are pleased to deploy Dr. Allon to Ukraine to work with our team,” said Lustig in a statement. “Medical volunteers may apply on our website, and we greatly welcome donations.”
The war in Ukraine has been raging since the country was invaded by Russia in early 2022. Though casualty counts vary drastically, it appears as though more than 100,000 people have been killed or injured as a result of the conflict — including thousands of civilians.
Damaged infrastructure makes it difficult for medical professionals to treat the wounded.
“It seemed like the civilians of that area were going through hell,” said Amitai. “It’s an opportunity to help people, who really need the help. It’s an interesting part of the world, and an interesting historical era.”
Over the course of his volunteer term Amitai will provide The Garden Island with regular reports from the conflict zone.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 808-647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
