FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN THE OUTPATIENT MATERNITY WARD IN PRESEVO COMPLETED

After 15 years,  Presevo will get a maternity ward. The celebration of the Coordination Body’s 12 th. anniversary was preceded by marking the completion of the first phase of works on the outpatient maternity  ward in Presevo. The reconstruction of the outpatient maternity ward in the health center in Presevo began a little over a year ago. 95 percent of the construction works in the first phase are completed. The gynecological department will be on the ground floor, while two rooms for childbirth and a stationary block will be on the first floor. So far, the Coordination Body and the Ministry of Health have each invested 20 million dinars in the  facility, while the municipality of Presevo invested 10 million dinars.

“The outpatient maternity ward in Presevo will improve the quality of health care for women who are now traveling 50 kilometers to give birth, and there will be new jobs, too "said Mr. Stankovic.  On that occasion, he said that 50 million dinars had been allocated for construction works and he expressed the hope that the funds for the second phase would be provided and that the facility would fulfill its purpose.

Pointing out that the President of the Coordination Body  deserved  most of the credit for the completion of  works on the outpatient maternity ward, the mayor, Mustafa Ragmi, explained that works in the first phase lasted four months and that there was no misunderstanding whatsoever by the body, because Mr. Stankovic  is a medical doctor by profession. 

There was no misundarstandings whatsoever, because he understood our need for the project from the very beginning, said Mr. Mustafa.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Simo Vukovic, said that the responsible ministry would continue to support similar projects. „There are around 400 births in Presevo per year.  It is, therefore, very important that Presevo gets an outpatient maternity ward, because in that way  not only concern for the health of women and children from the area is shown, but also other issues are resolved.

Representatives of the OSCE and the EU Progress, Eric Manton and Graeme Tynadall,  welcomed the construction of the maternity hospital in Presevo, because as they said, it confirmed the good cooperation and coordination of the  central authorities with the local ones. 

If funding is provided, the outpatient maternity ward in Presevo should begin operating as early as mid next year. Estimates are that there may be as many as 800 women from Presevo and Bujanovac that would give birth  here. Today,  those women go to Vranje hospital to give birth.  

Director of the Health Center  in Presevo, Bujar Zuljfiju, said that the opening of the outpatient maternity ward was an investment of utmost importance, as the previous maternity ward was closed down back in 1990. 

“We expect that woman primarily from Presevo and Bujanovac would give birth here, who, thus far, had to go to Vranje. It is located in 800 square meters of the adapted  facility within the helath center, and it will have a delivery room and rooms for woman patients and their babies, "said Mr. Zuljfiju.

The maternity unit will have the capacity to receive 16 mothers in four rooms with four beds. There are two delivery rooms with auxiliary facilities, too. 50 million dinars are necessary to complete the second phase of works on the outpatient maternity ward, while the Coordination Body has already secured 20 million dinars. The equipping of the maternity ward will be assisted by the fund of the B92 television, as part of the campaign "The Battle for Babies".