An extended meeting of the presidium of the Vitebsk regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society was dedicated to the results of the activities for 2019
– The Vitebsk Regional Organization is a leader in the country, particularly in the provision of medical and social assistance to elderly citizens, – noted the Secretary General of the BRC **Olga Mychko**, and it will become a platform for the implementation of the European Union project "Active Longevity Strategy". Projects are already being implemented to provide assistance to people with HIV infection and tuberculosis, and to individuals in need of socialization.
All these areas of activity were highlighted as key by the Chairman of the Regional Organization of the BRC **Galina Zhelanova** in her speech. She noted that the organization is developing a volunteer movement among adolescents and youth aged 14–20 as part of the HIV/AIDS prevention project "Peer Education for Peer". In the fight against tuberculosis, Red Cross representatives cooperate with the Regional Tuberculosis Dispensary and the Bogushevsk Regional Tuberculosis Hospital. If patients adhere to the medication schedule, 35 rubles per month for travel to the place of treatment are credited to their plastic cards. 26 patients living in rural areas received financial support from the Red Cross in the amount of 2000 rubles. 29 patients undergoing treatment under direct video surveillance received smartphones. Red Cross volunteers provide psychosocial support to 49 patients.
She also emphasized that last year 12 contracts were fulfilled for providing medical and social services to lonely and single elderly citizens and disabled people who had lost the ability to self-care. 97,979 rubles were allocated from the regional budget for these purposes. 200 people received necessary assistance at home, half of them were disabled and participants of the Great Patriotic War, as well as cancer patients. 70 volunteers worked as nurses of mercy. In addition, paid medical and social assistance services were provided at home for over 8,000 rubles. Work is underway to promote active longevity and a healthy lifestyle among the elderly. For example, the "School of Healthy Aging" and the "Urozhay" sports and fitness club operate in the agro-town of Novka.
The Red Cross, together with the main department for healthcare of the regional executive committee, the regional clinical children's center, and the regional clinical center for psychiatry and narcology, implemented an initiative to prevent childhood injuries. As a result, the mortality rate among children in the social risk group decreased by 21.7 percent.
The regional organization of the Red Cross also participates in the implementation of a training system for children and adults in first aid methods. Last year alone, representatives from 32 schools and gymnasiums in Vitebsk underwent training. At the final competitions in April 2019 in the Park of the Soviet Army, the three best teams were awarded – secondary schools No. 31, 6, and gymnasium No. 8, and in May, the winners represented Vitebsk at the international first aid tournament in Daugavpils.
More than 3,700 volunteers are assistants to the Red Cross. Some of them underwent training at the University of Civil Protection of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus. With their help, heating points were organized during severe frosts in January 2019, and drinking water was distributed during hot summer days. Volunteers participated in search operations for missing persons.
A significant part of the Red Cross's work involves assisting victims of human trafficking (in cooperation with the regional prosecutor's office), as well as helping refugees and asylum seekers in Belarus. Last year, such citizens received monthly assistance totaling 31,270 rubles, along with medications, school grants, and funds for rent and travel. Irregular migrants are also a focus for Red Cross staff; among them were citizens of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Vietnam, India, Israel, and Cuba. They were provided with food, clothing, footwear, and hygiene kits worth over 3,000 rubles, as well as the opportunity to call home.
An agreement on trilateral cooperation has been signed between the Vitebsk Regional Organization of the Red Cross, the Visaginas Branch of the Lithuanian Red Cross, and the Hedmark District Branch of the Norwegian Red Cross.
– We have been cooperating for 11 years, and for the last five years, the Norwegian Red Cross has joined us, – said Maria Korkut, a representative of the Lithuanian Red Cross. – During this time, we have done a great deal in preparing emergency response services, nursing care, and youth work. We have the opportunity to share experiences, and we conduct seminars and training sessions in Belarus, Norway, and Lithuania. This year, our side plans to focus on training in first aid, which, according to our methodology, is taught to children from the age of five and adults. The implementation of other new joint projects is also planned.
At the end of the meeting, the best employees, volunteers, and partners of the regional Red Cross organization were awarded.