For the second year in a row, the Bulgarian Memory Foundation organizes and finances free preventive medical examinations in the municipality of Pustec, Albania, where an indigenous Bulgarian population also lives.
The initiative coincides with the day of the Bulgarian doctor, and its goal is to contribute to improving the quality of life of the residents of the municipality by providing access to specialized medical services, which are currently lacking in the region.
"Our mission is to take care of all Bulgarians left outside the borders of the Motherland due to circumstances beyond their control, this is our way of showing in practice what European integration and solidarity means," says Dr. Milen Vrabevski, founder and Chairman of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation.
And this year, the initiative is implemented together with the medical team of one of the most highly specialized and modern hospitals for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the country - Acibadem City Clinic UMBAL Cardiovascular Center, headed by the world-famous cardiologist and corresponding member of BAS Prof. Ivo Petrov.
"This year, the interest in our reviews among the population in the area is even greater, everyone welcomes us very warmly. We are happy that we can be of benefit to the people here and we congratulate the Bulgarian Memory Foundation in the person of Dr. Vrabevski for another initiative with a cause", shared Prof. Ivo Petrov.
The team was joined this year by specialists in ENT and ophthalmology from DCC St. Ivan Rilski in Sofia, as well as Dr. Aldin Ali - specialist in cardiology and internal medicine, founder of the "Heidelberg" Medical Center.
The examinations are held at the polyclinic in the village of Pustec, from October 18 to 20, and the interest in them is huge. Since early morning, the residents of the nine villages in the area have been waiting in line to be examined by the local doctors.
The initiative is implemented with the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This is the next major investment of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation and Dr. Milen Vrabevski in the Albanian region, after in 2023 and 2024 professional medical equipment and consumables were purchased for the polyclinics in the Mala Prespa area, furniture and computer equipment for the new building of the Pustec municipality, 24 benches for the villages in the municipality and a fully equipped medical container for the needs of the inhabitants of the village of Globocheni.
In July 2020, the Bulgarian Memory Foundation and its chairman donated a fire truck, an ambulance and an all-terrain vehicle for social patronage to the municipality of Pustec, which the Albanian municipality did not have until then.