ONE CROATIA Delivers Help to Banovina
Croatian associations throughout the world, for the first time since the Croatian War for Independence, unite to provide critical aid for first responders and medical professionals in Banovina.
At a ceremony held in Sisak, ONE CROATIA, an initiative that gathers Croatian associations throughout the world, presented donations of an emergency ambulance vehicle for Petrinja, an anesthesia machine for the hospital in Sisak, as well as protective equipment for volunteer structural engineers, valued at $225,000 USD (or approximately 1,500,000 Croatian Kuna). Financial support for this effort came from 33 different countries throughout the world.
A portion of the donation focuses on helping establish the Croatian Center for Earthquake Engineering. The center is staffed entirely by volunteer structural engineers. In the aftermath of the earthquake, they left their families and jobs behind to provide their expertise to help Banovina. Several of them were injured as walls and ceilings collapsed on them. “This donation came at the right time and is of great help since the jackets were designed to facilitate the work of structural engineers. Additionally, the jackets help visually identify our engineers, much like other first responders can be identified,” said Dr. Josip Atalic, the founder and President of the Center.
Other donations focused on providing medical equipment. “This donation of the emergency ambulance vehicle is very valuable to us because without a vehicle our medical teams cannot reach those facing medical emergencies,” said Dr. Tomislav Fabijanic, head of emergency medical services in Sisak. This is only the second vehicle in the county that has a four wheel drive capable of reaching villages and hamlets in mountainous areas.
Similar sentiment was expressed by Dr. Tomislav Dujmenovic, director of the hospital in Sisak. “The situation in our hospital is difficult. The donation of an anesthesia machine will help the hospital not only return to normal operations but also to advance,” said Dujmenovic.
ONE CROATIA’s giving philosophy includes working directly with first responders and making donations of needed supplies. This enables the donors to transparently see how their funds are being utilized to help those in need.
While it would have been an honour to deliver these donations in person, many thanks to Synthia Dodig, Trade Commissioner (Canadian Embassy Zagreb) and His Excellency Alan Bowman, Ambassador of Canada to Croatia and Kosovo, for attending the ceremony and representing Croatian-Canadians.
These donations were made possible because of YOUR generosity. THANK YOU!
Together, we make success!
GoFundMe Charity to the Croatia Earthquake Relief Fund
