ONGOING ACTIVITIES FOR PROVISION OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE MIGRANTS THAT ARE TRANSITIN THROUGH REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Macedonian Red Cross on 16.06.2015 has held a press conference for the ongoing activities for migrant support who are transiting through Macedonia.

The Secretary General of Macedonian Red Cross Mr. Sait Saiti stated that since 2010 Macedonian Red Cross was actively involved in activities related to reducing the vulnerability of the asylum seekers and irregular migrants. The approach towards these people is for the primary health prevention provided by the Red Cross medical units (three times per week), located in the center for foreigners in Gazi Baba and the center for asylum seekers in Vizbegovo where we are present with activities since July 2012.

Today Macedonian Red Cross is continuing its support with primary health care for irregular migrants in the center in Gazi Baba where 7 days per week there is a doctor available, medicines and other medical equipment. In the period January-May 2015, there have been 2277 medical examinations (1226 men, 774 women, 9 newborn babies and 7 pregnant ladies). On monthly basis there are 6-9 referrals on secondary and tertiary level, where transport is provided to the public health institutions. Psycho social support and humanitarian aid that includes additional food and hygiene parcels, toys and shoes, are part of the everyday activities that are conducted by the Red Cross in the center for foreigners in cooperation and coordination with UNHCR. In the period January-May 2015 the Red Cross has supplied food and hygiene parcels to total of 450 persons placed in the center for foreigners.

Two mobile teams complied by driver and two medical personnel on daily basis are providing first aid to migrants that are transiting through Macedonia and are identified on the roads Gevgelija-Demir Kapija-Negotino-Veles-Skopje. Besides first aid, to these people there is distributed water, food, baby diapers and blankets. At daily basis there is an average of 230 interventions or in the last 7 days there were 1630 interventions.

The Secretary General of Macedonian Red Cross Mr. Sait Saiti also stated that Macedonian Red Cross is implementing activities for the heat waves through non-formal education of the population how to protect themselves in a case of extreme temperatures. 80 volunteers and teams of the Red Cross are present on field and are distributing water, measuring blood pressure and distributing brochures with advices for prevention of consequences of exposure to extreme temperatures. Starting of today citizens can also use the SOS phone line -3221902.

The department for water safety of Macedonian Red Cross with its teams is present at the swimming pools, aqua parks (Skopje and Probishtip) and beaches in Ohrid and Struga.

Macedonian Red Cross has trained total of 480 lifeguards, 32 divers and 1 doctor for underwater and hyperbaric medicine. We also have 6 patrol boats, 1 rescue ambulance boat, own radio communication system, more than 80 units of equipment for rescue teams and 2 medical vehicles. At this moment there are 250 lifeguards on the waters from which 50 in Skopje, 34 in Struga, 166 in Ohrid as well as lifeguards in Kriva Palanka, Probishtip and Veles.