The Wife of the President, Elizabeta Gjorgievska, addressed today the event “Preservation and promotion of mental health in crisis and peacetime”, organized by the Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The event presented a systematic model for providing first psychological assistance in times of crisis and peacetime to improve the support and assistance activities for citizens and institutions in the country.
Speaking about the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the President’s Wife noted that social distance, the loss of family members, economic damage and, in general, uncertainty about personal and collective futures have drastically increased mental health problems in most countries in the world, and in our country numerous health institutions have already noticed the increased need for psychosocial support of the Macedonian citizens.
Gjorgievska also pointed out that as a volunteer of the Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia, during the quarantine, together with a psychologist and Red Cross volunteers, every Thursday they answered through the SOS hotline to help various vulnerable categories, with calls by adults and sick people who need psychosocial support to more easily deal with the stress caused by the current situation.
“For me, this was a priceless volunteer experience because I could talk to our fellow citizens and try to help them. With my personal engagement, I want to encourage as many humane people as possible to volunteer for a Macedonian society of solidarity. We should be aware that sometimes the right word spoken at the right time can save someone’s life”, Gjorgievska said.
Expressing her support for the initiative of the Red Cross, which through the opening of the Center for First Psychological and Psychosocial Assistance grows into a systemic model for providing first psychological assistance in crisis and peacetime, Gjorgievska expressed hope that this Red Cross project will help in overcoming the social stigmatization in the Macedonian society due to seeking psychological help and thus will help in dealing with the negative effects of the pandemic.
The event was also addressed by the Secretary General of the Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia, Sait Saiti, the Minister of Health, Venko Filipce, the Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy, Enver Huseyin, and the Adviser at the Ministry of Education and Science, Dusan Tomsic.
The Center for First Psychological Assistance and Psychosocial Work, operating within the Red Cross of the Republic of North Macedonia, will implement sustainable activities for building civic and national capacities for providing first psychological assistance and psychosocial support.
