TRH CROWN PRINCE ALEXANDER II AND CROWN PRINCESS KATHERINE VISIT LAZAREVAC

“Yugo Florida” ambulance and shoes and clothes as donation to the Institute for Endemic Nephropathology

Belgrade, 13 January 2003 – TRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine visited Lazarevac, a Belgrade municipality, today. After visiting the Town Hall they delivered € 7,500 worth “Yugo Florida” ambulance and shoes and clothes for the patients and the staff of the Institute for Endemic Nephropathology.

The ambulance is a part of the aid raised during the great humanitarian event organized by the Foundation of HRH Crown Princess Katherine last June, and the donor is “Galenika SA” company, whose deputy general manager Mr. Zoran Stajcic attended the delivery of the donation.

Upon their arrival to Lazarevac, Their Royal Highnesses were first welcomed by the Mayor Mrs. Ljiljana Zdravkovic with her associates. The reception at the Town Hall was also attended by the Heads of the Districts and the management of “Kolubara” Mining Corporation, headed by the director Mr. Slobodan Djeric.

Current social in Lazarevac was discussed at the meeting, as well as the business of “Kolubara” Mining Corporation, which is the leading economic force in this town, with 16,000 employees.

Mrs. Zdravkovic said that despite the fact that “Kolubara” produces 60% of country’s electrical energy, this town faces power and heating shortages during winter period, as well as water shortage during summer.

The Crown Prince emphasized the need to make good business plans and strategies for the companies that used to do business well, in order to bring back their partners, attract new investors and raise the level of doing business.

Princess Katherine showed interest particularly in the situation in health care system and refugee status. She pointed out that there were people in the world who wanted to help, but that our people should be more accurate and organized in providing information on what they needed, for many donors don’t know where to direct their help, despite their good will.

TRH Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine then called upon the Institute for Endemic Nephropatholgy where they donated “Yugo Florida” ambulance worth € 7,500 and shoes and clothes for the patients and the staff, to the director Dr. Ivko Maric.

“My heart is filled with joy today because we give you this ambulance. Our great pharmaceutical company “Galenika” is a proof that there are kind people in our country who understand the pain and sufferings and who want to help”, said Princess Katherine.

The Princess then added how the delivery of the ambulance was only a part of her Foundation’s activities with its offices in London, New York, Chicago , Toronto and soon in Washington and Athens, and that there will be more opportunities for providing help to those who are the neediest.

The director Dr. Ivko Maric said that the donation is exceptionally important to this institution that treats a great number of kidney patients who take their dialysis in it every day.

He most kindly thanked to Their Royal Highnesses for all their energy they put into helping our people, and then took his guests for a round of the chemo dialysis center where the Crown Prince and Crown Princess donated jumpers to the patients.