United States Helps Renovate Hospital in Knin

Zagreb, Croatia, October 28, 2009

On Thursday, October 29, 2009 U.S. Ambassador James Foley will visit Knin to mark completion of a $130,000 renovation of the city’s general hospital. This U.S. financed Humanitarian Civic Assistance Project was achieved through the combined efforts of the U.S. military’s European Command (EUCOM), the Office of Defense Cooperation of U.S. Embassy Zagreb, and the Croatian Army. The Commander of the Croatian Army, the Mayor of Knin, and the Director of Knin General Hospital will attend the ceremony. Activities will begin at 12:00.

The project made vitally necessary improvements to the hospital, especially its children’s wing. It involved interior painting, replacement of old radiators, renovation of toilets in the hospital’s waiting room areas, installation of air-conditioning systems at the children’s ward, and repair of the roof ventilation systems. This project was executed in conjunction with the State Partnership Program “GUARDEX 09” military exercise, and served as operational readiness training for the Croatian Army engineering regiment, and their engineering counterparts from the United States Air Force – Europe.

Between 2008 and 2009, through its Office of Defense Cooperation, the United States has provided 1 million dollars of humanitarian assistance to similar projects in Croatia.