Investments in military health care are investments in the quality of life of every citizen of Serbia, Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin said after a tour of the Military Medical Academy, where six new ambulances of the Military Healthcare Department were presented.

- Every investment in the Serbian Armed Forces is an investment in a better life and quality of life for each of us, whether we are members of the military or not. Investments in military health care are investments in the quality of life of every citizen of Serbia. The majority of patients who are assisted by military health care are civilians, not soldiers, but the Serbian Armed Forces does not divide people into civilians and soldiers, and all Serbian citizens deserve our attention, support and our assistance – minister Vulin said.

Investments in military health care are investments in the quality of life of every citizen of Serbia, defence minister Aleksandar Vulin said after a tour of the Military Medical Academy, where six new ambulances of the Military Health Department were presented.

- Every investment in the Serbian Armed Forces is an investment in a better life and quality of life for each of us, whether we are members of the military or not. Investments in military health care are investments in the quality of life of every citizen of Serbia. The majority of patients who are assisted by military health care are civilians, not soldiers, but the Serbian Armed Forces do not divide people into civilians and soldiers, and all Serbian citizens deserve our attention, support and our assistance – Minister Vulin said.

Investments in military health care will continue in 2020, Minister Vulin announced, adding that this would be seen in all military healthcare institutions.

- We bought new ambulances. We have purchased a significant amount of new, state-of-the-art medical equipment, but in the coming days we will show how much we have invested in the Military Medical Academy and how much we are investing in all military hospitals throughout our system – Minister Vulin said.

The new ambulances are distributed to the Centre for Military Medical Institutions Belgrade, 4th  Army Brigade in Vranje, Serbian medical treatment facility Level 2 in the MINUSCA Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic, Niš Military Hospital, Novi Sad Military Hospital and the Serbian Armed Forces Special Brigade.

Brigadier General Uglješa Jovičić, MD, PhD, Head of the Military Healthcare Department, recalls that intensive investment in military healthcare began in mid-2017 and that numerous improvements have been seen so far in terms of infrastructure works, opening new outpatient clinics in military hospitals, equipping with modern facilities and employment of necessary personnel.

- What is important, in addition to infrastructure, is that the equipment has been procured as well. The proof that we did not stop there is the new ambulances. We are to continue in the coming year, with the support of Minister Vulin, to whom I thank on this occasion for the admission of about 400 new people to military healthcare system. The next year is not only a year of investments in the military medical institutions in the Ministry of Defence, but also in the military units, with intensive equipping with everything that an outpatient clinic needs to work normally. We have young doctors there who are our mainstay for the future and in order for them to work well, we need to equip them well – General Jovičić announced.

Director of the Military Medical Centre for Emergency Assistance Belgrade, Lieutenant Colonel Bojan Jovanović, MD, says that the acquisition of new ambulances means that both civilian and military insured persons will be able to get better health care services.

- It is my great pleasure that we have finally received such a modern motor vehicle that, together with all the accompanying medical equipment of the latest generation, will greatly facilitate the work of my colleagues in the medical transport of the injured and sick from the place of injury or their homes, to the medical institutions where we can treat patients. I expect and hope that in the forthcoming period we will renovate our vehicle fleet and get some more of these vehicles, in order to be even more efficient and comfortable in work – Lieutenant Colonel Jovanović said.

Commander of the health care platoon of the 4th Army Brigade, Captain Ivica Arsić is not hiding his satisfaction because a new ambulance was assigned for the needs of the brigade in which he works.

- We are very pleased that we have received such an ambulance for our team. For the 4th Army Brigade, it will mean a lot in terms of transportation of the military insured, i.e. patients who need health care by the specialised services of the Military Medical Academy and the Niš Military Hospital. We are very pleased because the vehicle is fully equipped with the necessary medical equipment, such as a spinal board, an ECG, defibrillator, aspirator and other things necessary for provision of emergency assistance to patients – Captain Arsić says.

The visit of the new ambulances was also attended by State Secretary Bojan Jocić, Head of the Military Medical Academy, Colonel Prof. Dr. Miroslav Vukosavljević and the director of the Niš Military Hospital Colonel Dr. Jovica Stanojković, PhD.