The Joint Monitoring Committee of the Programme approved allocation of additional 3 M EUR for the healthcare cross-border cooperation projects to support them in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak. There are 12 projects (7 PL-BY, 4 PL-UA, 1 PL-BY-UA) involved including hospitals and social care centers, that now can purchase additional equipment or introduce new activities to better response to the crisis (while still implementing regular project activities). 

30 partners now cooperating within the 12 healthcare projects[1] have already got earlier access to almost 24 M EUR in total from the EU funds to support hospitals, emergency services and other units located in the cross-border area. The grants are addressed to epidemiological safety, the healthcare of mother and child, oncology, intensive medical care and many others. The additional 3 M EUR will strengthen the medical staff, bring new equipment, enable new coronavirus tests and make the cooperation over the border possible on the remote basis.

For over 15 years now the Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014-2020 CBC Programme has been supporting the security of Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian inhabitants addressing common challenges on both sides of the EU border. Healthcare and public security have been one of the major Programme’s objectives from the very beginning.

“The release of EU funds has allowed us to react quickly and purchase a specialist device for chest screening, which is one of the basic tools for diagnosing patients with COVID-19” - said Paweł Natkowski, Director of the J. Psarski Mazovian Specialist Hospital in Ostrołęka.

"Our Partner, Regional Pediatric Clinical Hospital in Lviv decided to allow these funds for the purchase of personal protection materials for the personnel" - added Wojciech Miazga, project leader.

The Programme covers up to 90% of the eligible costs of the projects. More at www.pbu2020.eu

For more questions please contact:

Aleksandra Makowiecka, Communication Manager, e-mail: aleksandra.makowiecka@pbu2020.eu, phone: +48 782 110 299

[1] The list of projects:

1. PBU1/0041/16 Improvement of epidemiological safety at the Polish-Belarusian border area, LB: Specialist Hospital in Biała Podlaska (PL)
2. PBU1/0067/16 Record Use Observation Keeping - cross-border cooperation of regional hospitals in Siedlce and Minsk for mother and child health, LB: Mazovian Voivodeship Hospital in Siedlce Ltd. (PL)
3. PBU1/0142/16 To the rescue. Improvement of accessibility to medical services in emergencies through the cooperation of emergency medical services in the cross-border area of Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, LB: Tomaszów District (PL)
4. PBU1/0266/16 Improvement of cross-border health services in oncological urology in Bialystok and Grodno regions, LB: Autonomous Public Health Maintenance Organisation Jędrzej Śniadecki Voivodship Polyclinical Hospital in Białystok (PL)
5. PBU1/0268/16 Improvement of trans border health services in cardio-vascular diseases and intensive medical care in Białystok region and Minsk Oblast, LB: Autonomous Public Health Maintenance Organisation Jędrzej Śniadecki Voivodship Polyclinical Hospital in Białystok (PL)
6. PBU1/0326/16 Model health care program to fight osteoporosis in area of Polish-Belarusian borderland, LB: Dr. Ludwik Rydygier Voivodeship Hospital in Suwałki (PL)
7. PBU1/0358/16 Increasing of access to health services in Krosno and Uzhgorod, LB: Krosno Commune (PL)
8. PBU1/0376/16 Joint initiative of the Mazovian Specialist Hospital in Ostrołęka and Lviv Regional Pediatric Clinical Hospital as increase of accessibility of health care services in the scope of modern surgery, LB: The Józef Psarski Mazovian Specialist Hospital in Ostrołęka (PL)
9. PBU1/0668/16 Together for saving lives. Integrated Polish-Ukrainian system of first aid in the area of the border, LB: Bieszczady Poviat (PL)
10. PBU1/0766/16 Better Access to Medical Services in the CBC Region, LB: Healthcare institution "Brest regional pediatric hospital" (BY)
11. PBU1/0063/16 Development of cross-border cooperation in helping people with autism on the Polish-Belarusian borderlands, LB: Association for Assistance to Autistic Children and Youth and the Youth and Children of the Related disorders "COMMON WORLD" (PL)
12. PBU1/0217/16 The Borderland of Equal Chances, LB: The Step by Step Association for Help to Disabled Children (PL)