During our trip to Serbia in the fall of 2015, we visited the Health Center in Vranje, and met with Dr. Zorica Parezanović, head of the Pediatrics Department. “The hospital is the main institution taking care of people throughout the entire region of South Serbia”.
We found the place in very poor conditions. The water supply came from another floor with a hose. The sewage pipe from the floor above was leaking. The only shower had no door, and was also used by the cleaning staff for their cleaning equipment. The ward did not have an isolation unit, exposing the non-infected children to contagion from the ones with various infections. Case in point, a current patient, a child infected with salmonella, was sharing the bathroom and kitchen with non-infected children.”
In February 2016, SAMA committed to making a donation to the hospital, and an execution contract with Europrojekt Vranje was signed. SAMA paid a deposit (almost $9000) to begin renovation. The total cost of the renovation was estimated to equal more than 1.73 million RSD (about $16500). The renovation included a complete rework of all the water installation and sewage systems, bathrooms and showers on the 2nd and 3rd floors, as well as the creation of a separate bathroom for the isolation unit. Renovation started on March 15th and was successfully completed in April 2016.
This is a major improvement for the quality of health care provided, in terms of overall sanitary conditions, and comfort for both patients and doctors. During the course of renovations, it was obvious that the Pediatric Ward had numerous other needs. The walls and floors were in pretty bad condition, requiring painting and replacement. Additionally, furniture (beds, mattresses, etc.) was in need of major upgrade. We continued our discussion with Dr. Parezanović. Dr. Parezanović and her team were able to secure a donation from another humanitarian organization to paint the Ward. SAMA focused on replacing the floor. SAMA signed a contract with SRMA Group and Vranje Hospital in mid July. By late September 2016, for the additional cost of $11,500.00, new flooring had been installed on all three floors of the pediatric department.
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