Representatives of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) yesterday donated one vehicle and medical equipment to the Health Centre in Mitrovica.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Kosovo, Jennifer Brush, said UNMIK was dedicated to providing support to the residents of northern municipalities, to create more democratic and prosperous living conditions.

"In the hopes that municipalities will attend to meeting the needs of the people, we will gladly assist in relaying relevant information to the international community and other donors, in order identify ways to improve everyday life," Brush said.

The Director of the Health Centre in Mitrovica, Dr Milan Ivanovic, said that UNMIK's donations will help patients and staff, who would gain better working conditions and thus be able to contribute to better health care.

"I think that this example by UNMIK should be an example for other organizations as well, which at this point have much higher capacities. But it seems to me that the other organizations do not deal sufficiently with some vital issues, and of course treatment of our patients is a vital issue," Ivanovic said.

"This is important especially at this time when our country is in an economic and financial crisis, when all of the Health Centre’s requests and needs cannot be met," Ivanovic stressed. He also recalled that the hospital in Mitrovica is a pillar of survival for Serbs in Kosovo, and very important not only in terms of health.

The donation to the Health Centre consisted of a vehicle, defibrillator, oxygen concentrator, medical equipment, shelves, and tables.