Cooperation projects involving medical institutions from the EU and Neighborhood countries Mr. Gintaras SKAMAROČIUS Director of Marijampolės bureau of Euroregion Nemunas Member of the Executive Committee of the Association of European Border regions, Lithuania (LT)

We are... ! Rights of citizens and travelers; Lithuanian medical system till 1990 years; Challenges for creation and development of new / EU system in Lithuania; Creation of joint or combined health system in border regions with Neighbor countries A distant region or region near

The biggest project in LT and PL cross border region is Health care project The improvement of emergency services through cooperation of medical institutions in cross-border area. Acronym Medical CBC, No.LT-PL/088. The budget of the project – 4,56 mln. Eur: 3,88 mln. Eur or 85 % – financed by LT and PL CBC program ; 0,68 mln. Eur or 15 % – financed by the partners of the project. Project started in and it is foreseen to implement it in 26 months. Partners of the project : Marijampolė, Lazdijai and Vilkaviškis hospitals and Vilkaviškis health care centre (LT) and Hospitals in Suvalkai, Bialystok, Augustav and Ambulance station in Suvalkai (PL) What we are doing ?

36 joint events; 1361 participants; 36 institutions participating in the events; 1983 sq.m. renovated premises; 244 units purchased equipment; units Lithuanian-Polish language conversation guides and publications. Project includes not only cooperation between partners, but also cooperation with other rescue, police and other emergency services in cross border region! Planned results of the project Medical CBC:

Some new projects: Development of Co-operation in Order to Improve Health Safety of the Population of the Russian – Lithuanian – Polish Borderland cooperation between LT–PL–RU regional hospitals from Marijampolė ir Tauragė regions (LT), Bialystok and Suwalski regions (PL), Kaliningrad region (RU). Project budget – 4,08 mln.Eur, amount request from the CBC program – 3,67 mln.Eur (90%). Implementation in 18 months. Cooperation of medical institutions and local communities creating safe cross- border region cooperation between LT–PL–RU local hospitals from Marijampolė region (LT), Suvalkai region (PL), Kaliningrad region (RU). Project budget – 1,65 mln.Eur, amount request from the CBC program – 1,48 mln.Eur (90%). Implementation in 22 months. Cooperation of medical institutions and local communities creating safe cross- border region cooperation between LT–BY regional and local hospitals from Alytus and Vilnius regions (LT), Grodno region (BY). Project budget – 1 mln.Eur, amount request from the CBC program – 0,9 mln.Eur (90 %). Implementation in 24 months. Whats next?

Safe living and traveling not only in EU; The best quality treatment; Joint prevention against new and old illnesses; Open borders for experience and information. What we need ? The condition for the professional treatment, Professional and experienced staff; Renovated premises of hospitals and health centers, Innovated equipment; To exchange of good experience between the regions; The possibility to develop the IT system between neighboring countries for exchanging data about patience and possibility to consultate doctors on-line; Development of the prevention work. What is the conclusion ? We are able to renovate and develop 1 department in 3-4 medical institutions by 1 project. In order to reach the average level of the health care in EU with these days financial intensivity, we should work at least for the next 10 years. What we working for ?