Belgian National Day marked by the Ambassador and Belgian companies’ donations to Serbian Covid hospitals

National Belgium Day, July 21, this year is largely devoted and organized to honor the health care workers. The Belgian Embassy in Belgrade, together with the Belgian-Serbian Business Association (BSBA), has joined forces with Fund B92 to donate medical and protective equipment to health care facilities in Belgrade and Surdulica.

Through this initiative, Belgian companies and the Embassy of Belgium raised over 12,200 euros, that were used for the purchase of 4 infusion-perfusion pumps for the Clinical Hospital Center "Zemun", a video laryngoscope for the Health Center Surdulica, as well as 700 protective coats for CHC "Zvezdara".

Two Belgian companies, New Image and Metech, in cooperation with the “Aleksandar Jovanović” Technical School in Smederevo, delivered several hundred protective face shields that will be distributed to several Covid hospitals - "Zemun", "Zvezdara", "Bežanijska kosa", "Dr Dragisa Misovic - Dedinje", Orthopedic Institute Banjica and Health Center Surulica.

The ceremony of handing over the perfusion pumps at Zemun hospital was attended by the Fund B92’s President of the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of the Serbian Philanthropic Forum Veran Matić, the Belgian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Koen Adam, Belgian Defense Attaché Colonel Xavier Deneys and First Secretary Mr. Ruben Van Opstaele.

– I am really grateful to the Belgian companies, which are in a difficult situation themselves and which, given the consequences of the Covid-19 crisis, still considered it important to participate in this action of solidarity. In these difficult times, we must take care of health care workers and I am glad that Fund B92 directed part of the donation for the protective equipment they will use. This action shows the commitment of Belgian investors to fight together with their Serbian hosts, to overcome the current crisis. In that sense, despite of the difficult situation our countries are going through, this time we are celebrating Belgium National Day in the warmest and most beautiful way – said the Ambassador of Belgium in Belgrade, Mr. Koen Adam on this occasion.

Representatives of the Belgian-Serbian Business Association (BSBA), President Hugo van Veghel, and Executive Director Milica Vranjanac, also attended the event and the donation.

In addition to the companies New Image and Metech, which provided protective face shields, several other Belgian companies operating in Serbia joined this solidarity action, including TARA International Consulting, the International Center for Knowledge and Technology Transfer - ICTTI, and Elicio Wind represented on today’s event by Director Mr. Christophe Bols and Dejan Janković, as well as many other companies.

During today's visit to Clinical Hospital Centre "Zemun", representatives of the Embassy and Belgian companies were welcomed by the director of the hospital, Prof. Dr. Dragoš Stojanović, with whom they had a short conversation about the current health situation. Stojanović expressed his gratitude for the donation.

– After a very valuable donation to "Dr Dragisa Misović" hospital, the Belgian Embassy decided to dedicate its National day to solidarity with Serbia, health care workers and patients. In this manner, friendship and solidarity are demonstrated in the best way, but also Belgian patriotism and dignified celebration of the national day – Veran Matić, President of Fund B92’s Board of Directors and Executive Director of the Serbian Philanthropic Forum, pointed out on this occasion.