President of the Association of Diabetics of Zenica-Doboj Canton Ibrahim Delibašić and General Secretary Haris Delić visited today the seat of the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton, where they spoke with Prime Minister Nezir Pivić and the Minister of Health Dr. Aidom Salčinović.
The representatives of the Association informed the Prime Minister and the Minister about the work of the Association and the problems faced by people suffering from diabetes, especially bearing in mind that around 30,000 patients are registered in the Canton area.
Delibašić thanked the ZDK Government for its support and cooperation so far, pointing out that the Alliance brings together associations that actively work on education and support for patients, but that systematic steps are needed to institutionalize this support.
Delić recalled that ten years ago, at the initiative of the Association, a project was planned to establish six educational centers for diabetes – in Zenica, Žepč, Maglaj, Tešnje, Kakanj and Visoko – for which funds and necessary equipment were provided, but the project was never realized.
Prime Minister Nezir Pivić and Minister of Health dr. Aida Salčinović expressed their support for the initiative and announced that the Government of ZDK will send a letter to all project participants with the aim of informing them about the current status and taking steps to implement the project.
– The government of the Zenica-Doboj Canton recognizes the importance of education and prevention, especially when it comes to chronic diseases such as diabetes. Such educational centers represent an important link in the health system because they provide direct support to patients and their families. Our goal is to, together with the Federation and health institutions, create the conditions for these centers to finally come to life – said Prime Minister Pivić.
In the European Union, there has been a practice of establishing educational centers and counseling centers for diabetes in local communities for years, which enables better prevention, disease control and support for patients.
The government of Zenica-Doboj canton, through the relevant ministry, will remind all project participants of the obligation to establish educational centers and request that, if there are obstacles, they point them out so that they can be removed and the project finally realized.
