A ribbon-cutting ceremony marked Wednesday the successful completion of the renovation of Skopje Pediatric Surgery Clinic.

The project, valued at approximately $125,000, included the renovation of six rooms in the outpatient area of the Pediatric Surgery Clinic and three hospital elevators, as well as a donation of fifty hospital beds.  This donation complements a $490,000 project of the US Department of Defense earlier this year, which included renovation of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and a donation of a CT scan machine.

The US European Command and Embassy staff worked together with the doctors of this clinic to identify their needs and purchase the best available equipment, US Ambassador to Macedonia  Paul Wohlers  said at the ceremony.

"Everything you are seeing today shows what can be done when governments work together towards a common goal. I wish to point out that the government of Macedonia provided close to a half-million euro for equipping the Surgery Clinic, located on the first floor of this building... The good work done here will also bring benefit to people beyond Macedonia's borders. Considering the unique nature of this clinic (Pediatric Surgery), children from Albania and Kosovo will also come here to obtain the necessary care. The citizens of Macedonia may be proud of helping not only to their youngest, but also to children of neighboring countries," Wohlers said.

This year the US has supported a renovation of seven schools across Macedonia and the Mental Disability Center in Demir Kapija, and in cooperation with UNICEF donated a vaccine storage equipment, Wohlers said.

"This and many projects serve as a proof of our commitment to and above all our friendship with the people of Macedonia," Wohlers said.

The Pediatric Surgery is one of its kind in Macedonia, serving not only domestic but also foreign patients, Health Minister Nikola Todorov said.

The Pediatric Surgery is one of the best health care institutions in Macedonia, Clinic's Director Vladimir Cadikovski said.