CHARITY DINNER AT THE WHITE PALACE IN AID OF PALLIATIVE CARE AND BELHOSPICE

Belgrade, 3 October 2009 - Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Princess Katherine hosted a Charity dinner in aid of palliative care and BELhospice at the White Palace tonight.

Guests were addressed by: HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, HRH Princess Katherine, Mr. Graham Perols, the executive director of Hospices of Hope from the United Kingdom, and Prim. Dr. Natasa Milicevic, the Director of BELhospice.

In his opening speech Crown Prince Alexander has emphasized: "I am pleased that we have gathered here in the White Palace tonight to support this significant project. It is important that we realize opening the first Hospice in Serbia is really necessary. Hospices exist in almost all European countries and it is high time for Serbia to obtain such an institution and provide support to the dying patients and their families".

Princess Katherine emphasized: "My husband and I are trying to be very active in all aspects so we can provide help to the people that expect that of us and who need it most. I can say that the cause for we have gathered here tonight is one with high significance. A Hospice is not just another health institution, it is a movement and philosophy of life and above all it is respect for valuable human lives".

Director of Hospices of Hope, Mr. Graham Perols said: "I would like to thank Their Royal Highnesses for their support to this project that is in its’ initial phase in Serbia. I hope that all the people who would appreciate the importance of starting a centre for palliative care in Serbia, would also help us in implementing this project”.

Prim Dr Natasa Milicevic, Director of BelHospice thanked Their Royal Highnesses for hosting this humanitarian dinner, and also thanked Dr Laycock and Mr. Perols for their help and support.

Dr Elaine Laycock, member of Lifeline Humanitarian Organization, spoke about her long humanitarian cooperation and friendship with HRH Crown Princess Katherine, and expressed her believes that project like this would be successfully implemented in Serbia.

After the speeches guests have had the chance to enjoy a performance of the musical duo "SAND”, followed by dinner.

This event would not have been possible without the support from: HE Mr. Steven Wordsworth, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Serbia, Mrs. Ann Pesic, Consul of the Republic of Ireland, ACB d.o.o., Alpine, Bel Medik, EC Haris, Eurobank EFG, European Commission, Grand Casino, GlaxoSmithKline, Harrison Solicitors, Hospices of Hope, ILS d.o.o., King Sturge, LifeLine, McCann Ericsson, Merck d.o.o, Messer Technogas, Metro, Sto posto, Telekom Serbia, Teri Engineering, U.S. Steel Serbia, VMA.

BELhospice was founded in Belgrade in 2004, as a humanitarian organization whose aim is to provide the patients in Serbia with appropriate palliative care. BELhospice is run by Prim Dr Natasa Milicevic who has worked as oncologist for more then 25 years – first at the Institute for oncology and radiology, and then at the Clinical centre Bezanijska kosa. Prim Dr Milicevic has got an International diploma in palliative medicine from the University of Cardiff, Wells, United Kingdom.

BELhospice is, at the present, organized as an educational service consisting of mobile teams that follow the patient’s condition regardless of the place where the patient is being treated – hospital, home, elderly home. Within its medical area, members of the team visit patients, evaluating their needs, and in accordance, together with their doctors decide whether their illness symptoms should be treated – foremost pain, nausea, asphyxia, weakness etc. or provide them with psychological and social support. BELhospice takes care of approximately 200 terminally ill patients for free.

World hospice and palliative care day is an event that takes place every year in more than 80 countries worldwide. Its aim is to introduce the public with the problems faced when taking care of the terminally ill patients.

Building of the first hospice in Belgrade is already being planned.