Installation of EU-funded triage containers continues across Serbia
April 21 2020 | Serbia
The installation of more triage containers continues across Serbia, after twenty one containers for triage and emergency care of patients who may be potentially infected with COVID-19 virus were already installed at 15 healthcare facilities during the last two weeks, mostly in Belgrade.
These containers, each fitted with an examination bed, table with two chairs, contactless thermometer, smaller containers for medical and infectious waste and a waste bin, constitute an important segment in the overall fight against the pandemic and a factor of preventive, since they prevent access of potentially infected persons to healthcare facilities.
“In cooperation with the EU Delegation and UNOPS, the Ministry of European Integration continues to procure the most necessary equipment in order to ensure efficient and safe triage of patients, preventing further spread of infection in healthcare facilities and protecting doctors and medical professionals who bear the brunt of the fight against COVID-19. Triage containers are part of the overall emergency assistance package for which the EU has allocated EUR 15 million. These funds were used to purchase masks and thermometers, and we expect respirators, ventilators, monitors and other medical equipment in the coming period,” Minister of European Integration and National IPA Coordinator Jadranka Joksimović has said.
The procurement and assembly of a total of 100 triage containers are part of an EU assistance package worth EUR 4.9 million, which was signed on 3 April by Sem Fabrizi, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia, Jadranka Joksimović, the Minister of European Integration, and Michela Telatin, the Head of UNOPS in Serbia. This donation is intended for the procurement of necessary medical equipment - ventilators, laboratory equipment and test kits, intensive care monitors, contactless thermometers and personal protective equipment, which will arrive in Serbia during April and May.
"I am happy and proud to see that containers are being installed all over Serbia, from Bujanovac to Senta and from Belgrade to Negotin, because efficient triage plays a key role in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. Healthcare professionals, who are at the forefront of this fight, must be protected so that they may lend their aid to us all. In addition to 800,000 protective masks that arrived on Saturday, 18 April, the installation of containers will also help medical staff to respond to the crisis with the least risk of self-infection. I am also pleased that all these containers are made in Serbia, supported by EU funds. This significantly reduces the installation time while also supporting the local economy and protection of jobs.
In addition to the emergency medical response in the amount of EUR 15 million, the economy and jobs are another key area where the EU has announced significant funding for Serbia. The announced donation of EUR 78 million will be directed to measures for the economic recovery in Serbia,” said Sem Fabrizi, Head of EU Delegation to Serbia.
The procurement of triage containers and other medical equipment is being conducted by the United Nations Office for Project Services - UNOPS, which has launched the Emergency Procurement Mechanism globally.
“We are very pleased to be able to support the European Union in the procurement of necessary equipment and the Government of Serbia in the fight against the pandemic. We are investing all our efforts to make sure that priority equipment, which will ensure good medical care and also save lives, reaches healthcare institutions in Serbia and its citizens,” said Michela Telatin, Head of UNOPS in Serbia.
Source: Government of the Republic of Serbia
