Albania and Bulgaria have joined forces in the name of one more child being born. In the late afternoon of November 7, the first-ever free reproductive medicine checkups, led by Bulgarian specialists, began in the Albanian town of Korçë — a region known for its high concentration of ethnic Bulgarians.

The campaign is a continuation of the preventive medical examinations that Bulgarian doctors have been conducting for the past two years in the Mala Prespa area, organized by the Bulgarian Memory Foundation, founded by Dr. Milen Vrabevski. Behind this cause for new life stand the teams of the “I Want a Baby” Foundation and the Society for Bulgarian-Albanian Friendship, with the support of the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tirana and the Mayor of Korçë, Sotiraq Filo. The Bulgarian National Radio is the media partner of the initiative.

• “Bulgaria and Albania – Together for the birth of another baby!”

Before the consultations with the medical specialists began, the organizers brought together Bulgarian and Albanian journalists at the host clinic and expressed their gratitude for the cooperation shown by both countries. Radina Velcheva, founder of the “I Want a Baby” Foundation, spoke about her nearly twenty-year collaboration with Dr. Milen Vrabevski and highlighted the contribution of her non-governmental organization in the establishment of the Assisted Reproduction Fund in 2009. To date, thanks to the financial support of the Bulgarian state, 18,000 babies have been born in Bulgaria. Each couple is eligible to apply for funding up to four times, with up to 6,000 leva granted for every attempt.

Forty-six babies have been born with the financial support of Dr. Milen Vrabevski and the ‘Bulgarian Memory’ Foundation, noted Radina Velcheva. Two years ago, the first two women from Korçë sought their assistance. “I am happy to announce that in the coming months, the first two babies of women from this region will be born — thanks to the assistance of Bulgarian specialists and the joint efforts of our two organizations”, said Radina Velcheva.

“Our togetherness serves as a positive European example”, said Dr. Milen Vrabevski, one of the most prominent benefactors of the Bulgarian community in the Korçë region. “We keep our promises. We always provide assistance at the request of the local authorities and the Albanian government”, said Dr. Milen Vrabevski.

Dr. Vrabevski expressed special gratitude to the Bulgarian institutions he collaborates with, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Air Force, which frequently provide the military transport aircraft “Spartan” to transport Bulgarian doctors to the region. “Goodness is contagious”, said Milen Vrabevski, noting that more and more people, donors outside his foundation, are joining the campaigns.

“This is the third cycle within a month and a half, covering preventive health checkups in absolutely all medical specialties for the local population. We handle the more serious cases, with follow-up treatment carried out in Bulgaria. We empathize with the problems of these people and want this area to become a better place to live, as Bulgarians, like us, also reside here. We have no arrangements with these people and expect nothing in return. We come only to help. This high level of expertise is also offered to everyone else, regardless of how they identify in terms of ethnicity or nationality”, Dr. Vrabevski said in a special interview with Radio Bulgaria.

In December, he and his team will visit Golo Bardo to deliver a heavy-duty vehicle requested by the local residents for snow clearing in the rugged terrain. This comes shortly after a donation campaign in the area, which provided schools with equipment such as heating devices, photocopiers, printers, interactive boards, and computers for the children, Dr. Milen Vrabevski explained.

“We are simply trying to set a good example — that no Bulgarian should ever be forgotten, no matter where they are. We give meaning to words like connection, building economic bridges, eradicating the language of hate, and promoting trans-European cooperation.”

Dr. Georgi Nikolov and embryologist Iskra Antonova from the Medical Center “ReproBioMed” joined the mission to bring new life to Korçë.

''I consider the initiative very successful”, Dr. Georgi Nikolov told Radio Bulgaria. “I am very pleased that we have the opportunity to establish such contacts in Albania, especially as the country moves toward EU membership. It is great that we are among the first to carry out such initiatives here”, Georgi Nikolov went on to say.

Albanians, rather than ethnic Bulgarians, were the majority of patients who visited the Bulgarian specialists on the first day of consultations.

“I learned about the initiative through social media, knowing that there had been previous occasions when Bulgarian doctors visited the Bulgarian communities here and helped local people with consultations”, one of the first women to enter the medical office told us. “This is very important, especially for people in need. Unfortunately, in Albania there is still a mindset where couples are afraid to seek medical help. My message to them is not to hesitate, not to wait, but to undergo regular preventive checkups.”

“The situation here is no different from that in Bulgaria”, Dr. Nikolov explained. Both countries are facing demographic challenges and this impression was reinforced during his visit to Korçë. Dr. Nikolov emphasized that the current initiative is a starting point for a more lasting presence of Bulgarian specialists in Albania, a mission that will continue in the future with visits from other reproductive medicine experts to Korçë.

Photos: Vesela Krusteva; Kostandina Belo