Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia has donated a range of medical equipment worth more than 100,000 euros to the Special Hospital for Lung Diseases “Ozren” in Sokobanja.
Crown Princess Katherine was helped by Dr Elaine Laycock, the Medical Advisor to Lifeline Humanitarian Organisation United Kingdom, whose patron is the Crown Princess. Betty Roumeliotis, the sister of Crown Princess Katherine, also joined the pair to donate the equipment.
92 hospital beds with mattresses, a fully equipped ambulance car, and computers were among the gifts given to the hospital. Funds for the ambulance car were collected in March this year when Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine attended the traditional humanitarian concert organised by Dr Laycock at Fairfield Church in Northwood Hills near London.
Also present at the hospital for the delivery of the donations was Mr Isidor Krstic, the President of Sokobanja municipality, Dr Mihajlo Jovanovic, the director of “Ozren” hospital, and Mrs Snezana Filipovic, the deputy hospital director.
Mrs Dragana Sotirovski, the head of Nisava district, and Mrs Sladjana Djukic, the assistant of the Minister of the Health of the Republic of Serbia, were also present. Many of Crown Princess Katherine’s friends who support the humanitarian work of Her Royal Highness and Dr Laycock were also at the ceremony.
Crown Princess Katherine and Dr Laycock. Photo: Royal Palace Belgrade
Crown Princess Katherine and Dr Elaine Laycock have been working together since 2001. Some of their projects include establishing a Family Unit and the Kulina Institute to prepare handicapped children to leave hospital for the first time.
The pair also carried out work at Toponica Special Psychiatric Hospital, such as building a new dental surgery, new geriatric ward, and a new acute medical ward, and two ambulances. They have also opened three kindergartens in Toponica, Matejevac and Bela Palanka with the equipment provided by Dr Laycock.
Special Hospital for Lung Diseases “Ozren” is the oldest healthcare institution in Sokobanja, and it specialises in the treatments of obstructive lung diseases, cardiovascular and eye diseases.
