TRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine in Nis

€ 40,000 DONATION TO CLINICAL CENTER NIS

Belgrade, 11 December 2002 – TRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine visited Nis today, where they delivered €40,000 donation to the Clinical Center, together with the Deputy Minister of Health Mr. Vasilije Antic, medical equipment donor Mr. Srba Ilic and their guests from Greece Mrs.Titi Apostolopulous and Mr. Vasilis Apostolopulous.

Mr. Titi Apostolopulous and Mr. Vasilis Apostolopulous represent “G. Apostolopulous Holdings A.D.”, the group that covers health care, production, marketing, insurance, construction, real estate and information technology. The group owns Medical Center Athens and a chain of health care facilities in Greece and other Balkan countries.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess were welcomed by the Mayor Mr. Goran Ciric and His Grace Irinej, the Bishop of Nis, at the reception at the City Hall. Current situation in local economy and health care system were discussed.

The hosts expressed their gratitude to Their Royal Highnesses and Mr. Ilic for their generous donation, emphasizing that the Crown Prince and his wife have always been dear guests of the City of Nis, and have always helped during the most difficult moments in the last ten years, with their kind support and aid.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess donated the Clinical Center Nis with a “Mercedes” ambulance (€ 27,000), a “Medicina TS” incubator (€ 5,400), 50 wheelchairs, a sewing machine, 15 typewriters and 5 boxes of hospital uniforms.

The ambulance, donation of Mr. Srba Ilic who was born in Nis, and has lived in USA for 30 years, was his contribution, in memory of his parents, to the great humanitarian event organized by the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine this June.

The ceremony of delivering was attended by the representatives of Nis companies “Eko linea” and “Aura”, whose donations in the humanitarian event provided the incubators.

Her Royal Highness has reminded of the difficult years behind us and expressed her hope that better times are coming.

“You know that our basic aim since we returned to our homeland has been care for our people and their health. Only working together in programs like this we can do much for those who expect help from us”, said Crown Princess Katherine.

The delivered donation is only a part of the humanitarian aid raised in the great event in June, the total value of which is over €1,000,000.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess went for a round of several Clinical Center wards, where their guest had a chance to see themselves the bad working conditions and shortage of medical equipment and medicines, that the staff of this institution are facing every day.