Autoclave (sterilization unit) and EKG for the Health Center Lučani

The Health Center in Lučani serves a municipality of about 20,000 people. Together with the Health Center in Guča, they also serve 8 rural ambulances, visited by doctors on a weekly basis. The whole area of Guča was very affected by flooding in March of 2016 (it was also affected by flooding in 2014). Much of the equipment in the HC Lučani was damaged during the floods. Due to the loss of sterilization equipment, all the instruments and other material had to be taken by ambulance to Guča, 17km away for regular sterilization. That was significantly reducing the availability of the ambulance car to the local population. In addition, the HC in Lučani lacked an EKG monitor.

SAMA Board member Verica Seničić was in contact with Dr. Gašović, director of the HC in Lučani and suggested a SAMA project. We collected the funds during the 2016 SAMA Annual Walk, and started procurement of new 12-channel electrocardiogram (Schiller AT 101) and a new 60 liter autoclave (sterilizator) (Shinva MOST T60).

New ECG was delivered to HC in Lučani on August 15th by Schiller representative in Serbia, Mr. Milan Krković.

On October 4th, 2016, SAMA Board Members Verica Seničić, Dr. Ivan Aksentijevich and Zoran Mladenović visited the Health Center in Lučani. On that same day, Marko Djordjević from Medipro MPM installed a new 60 liter autoclave Shinva T60, donated by SAMA. The new autoclave perfectly fits the needs of the Lucani HC.

The Health Center in Lučani serves a municipality of about 20,000 people. Together with the Health Center in Guča, it also serves 8 rural clinics, which are visited by doctors on a weekly basis.  Lučani was affected twice (2014 and 2016) by flooding. While they were able to reconstruct most of their facility, they were not able to replace the only autoclave (sterilization unit) and a needed 12-lead EKG.

In May 2016, SAMA collected the necessary funds during the second annual “Walk for SAMA” fundraiser, and purchased both instruments, which totaled $13,000.  The impact of the autoclave is significant, as it allows for the physicians to perform procedures requiring sterile instrumentation, such as delivery, and repair of small traumatic injury.  The EKG is also crucial both as a tool for screening and to evaluate acute cardiologic disorders.

The director, Dr Gordana Gašović and physicians and staff were very thankful to all the SAMA donors. Please take a look of the report emitted on Telemark Čačak TV: