First medical aid delivered to Yugoslavia (06/12/2000)

The first shipment of medical aid to Yugoslavia has been delivered free of charge to the Belgrade Clinical Centre by British Airways World Cargo.

The £400,000 of aid, funded by the British Government will equip nine operating theatres with urgently needed medical supplies. The 3,500 kilos shipment included three general-purpose operating tables, two powered orthopaedic and neurosurgical operating tables, accessory sets, trolleys and special lighting units.

Belgrade's Clinical Centre has 4,500 beds and performs 60,000 operations a year. It also has one million outpatients annually.

The donation by Trade Partners UK, a new government organisation providing support services for UK companies trading overseas, followed a visit to Serbia in November by Minister for Trade, Richard Caborn. He joined a top-level business delegation from the government's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Taskforce.

The Taskforce was established to help British business restore trade and investment links with Yugoslavia.

Hilary Vaughan, a member of the Taskforce, said: " Many of the medical staff working in the Belgrade Clinical Centre trained in the UK and recognise the quality and reliability of British healthcare equipment. They are currently having to work in difficult conditions where, for example, surgeons are forced to carry out operations without anaesthetics due to a shortage of medical supplies.

The doctors in Belgrade are delighted with this donation and the speed with which it has been made available. The Taskforce is extremely grateful to British Airways World Cargo for providing space for this shipment free of charge. It will make a significant difference to the people that rely on the centre for medical care."

World Cargo carried the shipment to Budapest and arranged road transport to deliver the medical supplies to Belgrade.