Press releases

MINSK, 27 December (BelTA) – As part of the charity campaign Our Children, a delegation of the CIS Executive Committee handed over gifts to patients of the children’s hospice Forest Glade, BelTA has learned.

“It has already become a tradition for the CIS Executive Committee that consists of representatives of the CIS member states to take part in the charity campaign Our Children. This year was no exception. For the fourth time we have helped the little patients of the Forest Glade hospice,” said Viktor Guminsky, First Deputy Chairman of the CIS Executive Committee, CIS First Deputy Executive Secretary.

In particular, in 2015 representatives of the CIS member states raised funds and donated them to the children’s hospice when it was still under construction. In 2016 they donated medical equipment to the National Center for Palliative Care, and transferred money to the children’s hospice. “Last year we also transferred money to the hospice’s account and brought toys to make the kids happy during Christmas and New Year celebrations. This time we have brought blood pressure monitors, New Year decorations and sweets. The money raised by the CIS Executive Committee will be used to purchase inhalers and orthopedic mattresses,” Viktor Guminsky said.

He emphasized that the CIS thinks highly of Belarus’ efforts to create special education centers and rehabilitation facilities, to support families with children having special needs and to provide medical assistance to children. “In our view, the Belarusian Children’s Hospice is an excellent example of public-private partnership in providing comprehensive assistance to families who have kids with life-limiting diseases. I am convinced that this practice will be of interest to the professional community and will be adopted in other CIS member states. The CIS Executive Committee and other CIS agencies will offer their support in finding efficient forms and methods of providing such assistance,” Viktor Guminsky said.

He added that the CIS Executive Committee highly values the efforts of hospice’s director Anna Gorchakova to introduce the world’s best practices of palliative care in Belarus, as well as her work to provide consultative assistance in arranging palliative care in Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and other countries.

“The most important thing that we have is life. We, adults, should do everything we can to make the life of such children longer and to bring them not only gifts, but also joy and open up our hearts to them. This is very important. In return we see children’s eyes full of joy, which is the true value that money can’t buy,” Viktor Guminsky said.