Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska and Health Minister Venko Filipche met on Tuesday with the six-member surgical team set to work March-September 2021 at the Norwegian hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Prior to departing to serve in the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, team members will undergo a three-month training in Norway. During this time they will take part in basic military and team training, as well as group activities, followed by military surgery training.
“You are members of the first Macedonian surgical team to take part in a NATO-led mission since we joined the Alliance. You’ll have the opportunity to learn from the best, as Norway is known for military medicine expertise,” Shekrinska told medical workers, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.
She added that as a NATO member North Macedonia will have to establish by 2028 a surgical team that will serve as a NATO resource. Participation in the Kabul mission is one of the steps in accomplishing this goal.
Minister Filipche congratulated team members at the meeting and stressed the importance of their participation in the Resolute Support Mission, adding that the project is important for the whole country, as NATO membership entails establishment of rapid response medical units.
“Your participation in this mission will benefit the entire public health system, as you’ll be able not only to apply your skills but also relay your knowledge to students and medical residents,” Filicphe said.
The team is made up of a general surgeon, a traumatologist, an anaesthesiologist and three nurses. Five of them work in the public health system and one is an army nurse.
Inclusion of public health workers in the mission, the press release read, is based on a cooperation memorandum signed by the two ministries, which allows the Health Ministry to choose team members, while the Defence Ministry provides the funding. Training and logistical support expenses will be covered by the Kingdom of Norway.
North Macedonia and Norway, the press release read, have already cooperated successfully within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) NATO-led mission in Afghanistan. Macedonian and Norwegian medical workers took part in the mission in the period 2008-2012, contributing to promotion of interoperability and trust between the two countries.
