An official ceremony was held today to mark the completion of renovation works to the first hospice day care centre in Serbia with the capacity of 20 oncology patients.
The participants were greeted by Zoran Djordjevic, the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Ingve Engstrom, the Head of Cooperation Sector of the EU Delegation to Serbia, H.E. Denis Keefe, Marko Jovanovic Assistance Finance Minister, Graeme Perols, the Chairman of the BELhospice Management Board, and Vera Madzgalj, the BEL Director.
The ceremony was attended by the ambassadors of Norway H.E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, Belgium H.E. Koen Adam, Germany H.E. Thomas Schieb, and Australia H.E. Ruth Stuart, as well as the UNICEF Director Regina de Dominicis, the President of the Municipality of Zvezdara Milos Ignjatovic, the Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic, the Director of the Republic Institute for Social Protection Bozidar Dakic, and representatives of the businesses which support BELhospice centre.
BELhospice project “Day care centre of the first hospice in Serbia” has received support under the grant scheme “Development of efficient community-based services in the area of education and social protection at the local level,” implemented through partnership between the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Serbia – CFCU, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of the Republic of Serbia and the European Union. The total value of the grant stands at EUR329,590 (EU’s contribution – EUR197,048; BELhospice’s contribution – EUR132,542).
The ceremony featured a presentation of the BELhospice sustainability club, which gathers a number of individuals and corporate partners that have for years been contributing to setting up of the first BELhospice.
BELhospice centre continues to offer the free service of taking care of advanced stage cancer patients and their families at home. The day care centre project will allow BELhospice centre to offer the free service to 20 oncology patients a day.
