Thread by @DrEricDing

SCOOP—Russian attacks cut off access to the main warehouse for Novo Nordisk drugs in Ukraine, a source says. All of NN’s insulin in 🇺🇦 is stored there. Unless warehouse access restored, pharmacies only have a couple days of #insulin left. ➡️This is also a crime against humanity.

We need to demand Russia releases medicines on humanitarian grounds. If Putin blockades critical medicine for diabetics (or any disease), there will be further hell to pay.

3) If Russia 🇷🇺 doesn’t lift blockade, we need to be creative. Countries/NGOs may need to start using civilian trucks or aircraft to airlift food and critical medicine to Ukraine, just like the Berlin Airlift when Soviets blockaded Berlin for almost a year
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Bl…

4) Obviously one city like Berlin is not equal to an entire country like Ukraine. But Russia can’t blockade an entire country. I mean potentially airlift to critical cities if they are blockaded for an extended period of time. And yes, there’s Russian jets. But what if Red Cross?

5) For anyone wondering—no I don’t own NN stock. I have never worked for them or been paid by them. And I’m a long-time critic of crazy high insulin prices & pharma price gouging. But humanitarian aid of critical medicines during a war is different. 🇷🇺 must not blockade medicine.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1349405447988588545

6) Every time I think to myself, “can Putin be that insane?” — Putin experts like Fiona Hill remind us that yes, he is. Good read on Putin’s psyche. politico.com/news/magazine/…

7) Pharmacies lines in Kyiv. (Bottom right 3rd photo). So medicine shortages overall can definitively happen soon, if not already.

https://twitter.com/ozkaterji/status/1498686183202865157

8) My national security friend (w/ military/senior govt) says this medical crisis is sadly not a priority for Putin: “He’s dropping cluster bombs on neighborhoods. Blocking meds will be 1) a byproduct of an invasion; & 2) not be in anywhere near their top concerns at the moment.”

9) My other WaPo source says NN has indeed acknowledged “complications” but they didn’t get more specific. I pray and hope this insulin access issues gets resolved soon. 🙏

10) Politico report also confirms a humanitarian crisis on medical supply: “trucks are unable to find safe passage to transfer medical supplies to hospitals running short on oxygen. WHO calls for the creation of a safe corridor”—HT @ErinBanco @woodruffbets politico.com/news/2022/02/2…

11) Now reports that Russian military is commandeering Ukrainian hospitals to treat their wounded. If Russian army does that, do you honestly think they care about Ukrainian civilians not getting their insulin? We need to demand humanitarian supply route now!

https://twitter.com/DAlperovitch/status/1498786108263616517

12) Worried—The @WHO warns that Ukraine’s medical oxygen stockpiles are running low, and could be depleted in the next 2 days. ➡️ This story was written a day ago. We need a humanitarian safe passage now!

HT @ErinBanco @woodruffbets #StandWithUkraine politico.com/news/2022/02/2…

13) if you want to donate medical supplies to Ukraine 🇺🇦 , here is one option in the UK 🇬🇧

https://twitter.com/drdompimenta/status/1499151482935033862

14) The Ukrainian government has appealed to @Refugees and the Red Cross to establish a “green corridor” to bring medicine. But according to NYT—“the Russian military refuses to negotiate the creation of such corridors, and shelling continues”.

#greencorridor now!