Last fall, during our trip to Serbia we visited the Hospital in Vranje, and met with Dr. Zorica Parezanović, head of the Pediatrics Department. From our report: “The hospital is the main institution taking care of people throughout the entire region of South Serbia. We found the place in appalling conditions. The bathrooms have no running water. They have improvised a water supply from another floor with a hose. The sewage pipe from the floor above is leaking. The only shower is almost open to the public, and is used by the patients but also by the cleaning staff for their cleaning equipment. The ward does not have an isolation unit, exposing the children to various infections. Case in point, a current patient, a child infected with salmonella, shares the bathroom and kitchen with non-infected children.”

In February 2016, SAMA signed a contract about donating to the Hospital in Vranje, and an execution contract with Europrojekt Vranje. After signing the contracts, SAMA paid a deposit (almost $9000) to begin renovation. The total cost of the renovation is upwards of 1.73 million RSD (about $16500). The renovation will include 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. The renovation started on March 15th and is expected to be complete by end of April.