SAMA Project Update

Spring 2017

New defibrillator for Užice Hospital

During our last year trip to Serbia, we identified several potential SAMA Projects. We immediately started executing on few smaller projects, while for the larger ones, we needed to ensure that we collect sufficient funds with our fundraising campaigns.

The pediatric department at Užice Hospital needed defibrillator with the pediatric paddles. In discussions with Dr Vračarić, deputy director of the Health Center Užice,  it was determined that the Nihon-Kohden TEC5631K defibrillator would the right equipment. SAMA worked with Trivax DDO in Belgrade, local distributor for Nihon-Kohden equipment in Serbia to procure the defibrillator. The cost of the defibrillator was USD 5044. Finally, on March 27th, the defibrillator was delivered to the Hospital in Užice!

Oxygen Supply for Pediatrics in Sremska Mitrovica

The pediatrics department in Sremska Mitrovica hospital is the only one in the Srem region, serving 4,000 out-patient children with about 1,000 hospitalizations every year. Many of the children undergoing treatment are affected with pulmonary disease, or other upper air-way infections. As part of the care provided, they often have to give these children oxygen, which is of vital importance. The department seems to be in pretty good shape, and at the moment they are able to help these children by bringing oxygen bottles from other buildings.

Unfortunately, sometimes the bottle runs out of oxygen, and they have to run to get a new one from elsewhere, putting the children at risk. SAMA funded a project to provide oxygen supply to the reception room of the department. The cost of the project was USD 1291.17. The project was completed on April 8th.

New billirubinometer for Children’s Hospital Tiršova – Belgrade

We are starting the contract paperwork with Draeger Serbia and with Children’s Hospital in Tiršova to procure jaundice meter (billirubinometer) for the Hospital. The lack of knowledge about procedure how to import the equipment as humanitarian donation without having to pay PDV was again cause of delays. However, we do hope that this project will be completed soon.