Charlotte doctor with ties to Ukraine offers medical relief during war

CHARLOTTE — A Charlotte trauma surgeon with Novant Health is training other doctors in Ukraine while the war rages on there.

With devastating images continuing to pour in following the Russian invasion of the country nearly a year and a half ago, Doctor Michael Samotowka told Channel 9 that he has seen much of that damage up close.

Samotowka said for him the mission is deeply personal and he has traveled with MedGlobal to Ukraine as much as seven times this year.

MedGlobal is a non-profit that provides emergency response and health programs in vulnerable countries.

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Samotowka said during his most recent trip he spent time helping on the frontlines, as well as teaching critical skills such as ultrasounds.

“I’m the surgical trauma lead so I’m responsible for training the young doctors who are going to the combat zone and doing trauma, critical air,” Samotowka explained.

He told Channel 9 that there is a shortage of trauma surgeons in Ukraine, so the country relies heavily on American doctors to fill in that gap.

Samotowka also has another connection to Ukraine, both of his parents were born there and passed their native language on to him.

“Given my skill set of being a trauma surgeon and also of speaking the languages, I felt kind of obligated to participate and help the people as I could,” Samotowka said.

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Samotowka said that he faces challenges during the week-long missions, such as risking his life and witnessing devastation to civilian populations and buildings. However, he said he also feels inspired.

“In some aspects, it’s very disheartening obviously but in other aspects, you see the resiliency of the people,” he explained.

And he’s already planning his next trip so he can continue to help however he can.

Due to safety concerns, MedGlobal said it does not disclose when and where volunteers will visit Ukraine. However, the organization said they will make multiple trips, throughout the year, all across the region.

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