The Institute for Emergency Medical Care of Montenegro has received three new ambulances equipped with complete medical equipment, procured as part of the IPA RACE 2 project.
The vehicles, worth €180,774, will be allocated to the emergency medical care units in Podgorica, Kotor and Ulcinj.
The IPA RACE 2 project, worth €648,240.98, is being implemented under the Interreg IPA CBC Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro Cross-Border Cooperation Programme, with financial support from the European Union.
The European Union’s commitment to investing in the healthcare system was highlighted by Ricardo Seri, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro.
“In emergency medicine, every second counts, because every second can mean the difference between life and death. These new vehicles, together with better-trained staff and improved coordination, will help emergency medical services respond more quickly to emergencies and save more lives. When we think about European Union assistance, we usually think about major projects, motorways, railways… However, it is important not to forget that the European Union also supports Montenegro through a large number of smaller projects which, as in today’s case, save lives, but in any case also improve the quality of life of citizens. I sincerely hope that this vehicle will never have to come for any of us, but if that does happen, you can be sure that you will receive fast and high-quality emergency medical care,” said Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Montenegro Ricardo Seri.
Minister of Health Vojislav Šimun stressed that this represents another important step towards bringing Montenegro’s healthcare system into line with EU standards.
“One of the first steps taken by this administration was precisely Montenegro’s membership in the EU4Health system, which enables access to EU funds and projects even though we are not officially an EU Member State. So far, we have had several successful projects and direct grants under the aforementioned programme. Today, we are witnessing another successfully completed project, IPA RACE 2, with a total value of around €650,000, which has provided us with significant support for emergency medical care. We have received three ambulances, which will be allocated to units in Podgorica, Kotor and Ulcinj and will significantly strengthen activities and the quality of emergency medical services in these municipalities. I would particularly emphasise that, in addition to these three ambulances, under the project we also received equipment for on-site telemedicine. We also received equipment for implementing the Norwegian index for receiving home-visit requests, defibrillators and numerous other resources that will significantly modernise emergency medical services in Montenegro and, among other things, raise the level of healthcare quality for our citizens,” said Šimun.
Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorčević noted that this is just one form of support provided by the European Union to Montenegro and that such cooperation will be further intensified in the period ahead.
“This is a good sign of support, not only when we talk about negotiating chapters and fulfilling our obligations on the European path, but also about accessing the financial resources through which the European Union supports Montenegro. We can already see certain benefits when it comes to the provision of medical services, investment in equipment and, ultimately, strengthening and investing in our healthcare system. As for European Union support in the period ahead, there will be a large number of projects, both through cross-border cooperation and IPA projects, precisely so that our citizens can see the benefits of membership even before full membership in the European Union. Therefore, we will invest not only in the healthcare system, but also in our schools and education, as well as in absolutely all other areas that are extremely important to us at this pre-accession stage. As for Montenegro, we are indeed moving very decisively along the European path, and I believe that in the period ahead we will secure as much funding as possible so that citizens can be as satisfied as possible,” Gorčević said.
Director of the Institute for Emergency Medical Care of Montenegro Vuk Niković highlighted the significant benefits delivered through the completion of the IPA RACE 2 project, in addition to the three new ambulances.
“Over the past five years, the Institute for Emergency Medical Care has secured more than 1.100.000 euros through European projects. This is the third European project to be successfully completed. In addition to procuring three vehicles, we also acquired hardware and software for telemedicine, established the Montenegrin protocol for receiving home-visit requests, and connected all devices within the programme area. Using our own funds, we will cover the entire territory of Montenegro, meaning that for the first time in history, in addition to taking calls on 124, we will have a protocol for receiving home-visit requests for all municipalities in Montenegro, telemedicine, and all devices connected in a network. This is very important for Montenegro because we are currently in the EU accession negotiations, and all European projects are being used to raise standards and improve emergency medical services. As we aspire to join the European Union and are a tourist destination, there is a great need to adapt both our human and technical resources to EU standards. The fourth project is currently underway, so I hope that in the period ahead, with the construction of the new emergency medical care building in Podgorica, we will have a fully organised emergency medical care system and that in the future we will be an adequate partner within the European Union,” said Niković.
The IPA RACE 2 project also provided basic and advanced life-support training for medical staff of the Institute, as well as members of the Police Administration, the Protection and Rescue Service, the Armed Forces of Montenegro and the Ministry of the Interior, further strengthening the capacities of services that are the first responders in emergency situations.
Source: vijesti.me
Photo: Mediabiro