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Serbia is a country situated in the
Balkan peninsula with 7.5 million
inhabitants (without Kosovo and
Metohija). Some 56.4% of the total
Serbian population are city/town
dwellers, out of which about 2 million
people live in Belgrade (over 25% of
total Serbian population). The 65+age
represents 16.7% of the entire
population.
About 20,000 cancer patients die each
year in Serbia, of which 6,000 people
die of cancer in Serbia’s capital
Belgrade. According to available data,
one third of cancer patients die in
hospitals while for others there are no
relevant statistics.
Having this reality in mind, as well as
the fact that in Serbia there are no
specialist facilities which would take
care of terminally ill patients,
BELhospice was established in Belgrade
on 20 May 2004, as the first palliative
care and palliative medicine centre in
Serbia.
BELhospice was established by a group
of hospice pioneers concerned about:
-
Ever aging population
-
Increase in chronic illnesses,
including malignant ones
-
Lack of awareness of palliative/hospice care concept
and its very
specific role within
society and health care system
-
Shortage of specialist services in
the field
-
Shortage of adequate education in
the field
The
Centre was established with the idea of
it being a model for the development of
palliative care services for patients
and their families as well as becoming
an educational facility for relevant
professionals, volunteers and the
general public. Ultimately, the Centre
will hopefully contribute to relevant
policy and legislation on the national
level to consider incorporating
palliative care within the existing
health care system, both at governmental
and non-governmental level (charities). |
