New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy & First Lady Join UNITED SIKHS at Ukraine, Praise on Relief Efforts

The couple paid an official visit to Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine on 17 February 2023, in the course of which they met the Governor of Lviv Oblast, Maksym Kozytskyy, Mayor of Shehyni Oksana Pavusko, and Chief of staff of the Governor of Lviv Oblast Roman Kynazev. They subsequently joined the UNITED SIKHS team – including President Balwant Singh, Director Hardayal Singh, and youth volunteer coordinators Prabhleen Kaur, Daler Kaur, and Jasleen Kaur – at the Ukraine-Poland border. Here, they witnessed a live demonstration of the tactical medical program for civilians conducted by UNITED SIKHS Senior Officer and medical operations trainer Norman Bart. This unique emergency medical training (EMT) initiative was unequivocally lauded by the dignitaries, including the NJ Governor and First Lady. They also helped the UNITED SIKHS team distribute aid among refugees, displaced children, and orphans.

“It’s been a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, wreaking unimaginable suffering and devastation across swathes of the country. The efforts by UNITED SIKHS stand out like a beacon of hope amidst the bleakness of this unfolding tragedy,” said Phil Murphy. “Particularly commendable is the ingenious tactical medical program. By training ordinary civilians, it has the potential to save countless lives in serious conflict zones,” he emphasized

“Everything we do at UNITED SIKHS is inspired by the idea of recognizing the whole human race as one” explained Hardyal Singh. “Even since war broke out in Ukraine, our teams of volunteers have been on the ground evacuating people to safety, providing relief supplies, building bomb shelters, and basically doing everything to stand by the Ukrainian people in their hour of need. Our emergency medical training program is the latest and most unique initiative aimed at saving maximum lives in battle zones with no access to emergency care,” Singh underlined.

Given the escalating conflict, UNITED SIKHS, in November 2022, launched a first-ever ‘train-the-trainer’ program in which 50 Ukrainian civilians were given tactical medical training. The program was designed with the idea of enabling civilians to offer basic treatment to other civilian victims of war, increasing their odds of survival in hostile environments. The training program includes – but is not restricted to – arranging the right medical equipment, treating fractures and wounds, evacuating the injured, and offering protection against hypothermia, among others.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine touches the one-year mark, the conflict shows no signs of abating. With at least 8,000 non-combatants confirmed killed, 13,300 injured, and millions displaced since the outset of the war, Ukraine may well be in the throes of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

If you have any objection to this press release content, kindly contact pr.error.rectification[at]gmail.com to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 24 hours.