Donation for the Cantonal Hospital in Bihać

Representatives of the Danish Refugee Council visited the Cantonal Hospital "Dr. Irfan Ljubijankić" ​​in Bihać and on that occasion donated medicines, sanitary material, diapers, and wet wipes for babies, hygiene products for children, and disinfectants for the needs of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the Department of Pediatrics, and the "Children's Room".

"Proper care of the health of the youngest is our priority; that's why we strive every day to make everyday life easier for the children who stay in our department and improve the quality of services. For years, our institution, together with DRC, has been making efforts to ensure that local and migrant children have timely health care and that the process of providing health services is as easy and painless as possible," emphasized Dr. Redin Zjakić, pediatrician and subspecialist in neuropediatrics.

The Danish Refugee Council has made it possible for children on the move who are staying in the family reception center Borići in Bihać to have pediatric examinations in the outpatient clinic that operates within the center. In the case of a more complex clinical condition, the children are referred for treatment at health facilities. In just one year, in the center of Borići, pediatric teams from local health centers and the DRC realized 2,827 examinations and 1,964 interventions, while systematic tests were provided for 64 children, of whom 14 received a medical certificate to attend classes at the local school. According to the regular immunization calendar, 119 children were vaccinated, including unaccompanied minors, with the approval of the competent center for social work.

"We are happy with any activity that improves the quality of patients' stays in our institution, especially when it is aimed at vulnerable population categories, such as children and pregnant women. It is important to provide them with a comfortable environment in which they will feel safe in order to show their trust in doctors, which is very important in the process of providing adequate health care. This proved to be especially important when working with the migrant population due to the cultural differences and language barrier. Fortunately, with partner organizations like DRC, we also have cultural mediation, which means the most to the patients themselves. We all like that in difficult times someone talks to us in our language to show empathy and understanding," said Emina Kreso, coordinator of administrative activities at the Cantonal Hospital "Dr. Irfan Ljubijankić" in Bihać.

DRC, in cooperation with partner organizations MBC, Fenix, UNICEF, and UNFPA, ensures regular counseling of breastfeeding and pregnant women on the importance of breastfeeding, nutrition and supplementary feeding of newborns, proper neuromotor development, the health of pregnant women, and the prevention of certain diseases during pregnancy.

"From the first days of its activity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the DRC provided support to public institutions, especially health institutions. We sincerely thank the cantonal hospital in Bihać and its staff for their long-term professional cooperation. In the future, as part of the program of providing pediatric services, we will also support the local community, with the aim of improving the quality of health services for children and members of the local population," concludes Sanja Dželalagić, DRC Health Team Leader.