Veterinarians are also heroes of the fight against the pandemic

June 1, 2022

The coronavirus pandemic changed the entire planet a little over two years ago. But, out of grief and pain some new superheroes were born: doctors, nurses and all health workers, who on the front line, in the most difficult conditions, demonstrated both professional and human qualities.

Those who are rarely talked about, such as experts from the Veterinary Specialist Institute in Kraljevo, also deserved respect. These experts put their knowledge, equipment and laboratories in the service of the fight against COVID-19. During the first year of the pandemic alone, more than 13,000 samples were analysed at this institute. "All this would not be possible if there were no continuous investment in resources and equipment. The institute has invested its own funds and is mostly equipped with its own funding, but we should not neglect the really significant help we received from the European Union," Dr Mišo Kolarević, director of this institution explains, referring to almost two decades of EU support. The modernisation of the Kraljevo Institute was supported by the European Union a few years ago with a donation of equipment and 300,000 euros. Also, the researchers from Kraljevo, Dejan Vidanović, Milenko Šekler and Mišo Kolarević, together with the colleagues, Tamaš Petrović and Sava Lazić, from the Veterinary Research Institute in Novi Sad, participated in the project DEFeND, within the project cycle Horizon 2020, where they had the opportunity to exchange experiences with scientists from other European institutes. Since the beginning of its participation in the Horizon 2020 programme, Serbia has received 311 projects with a total value of 102.6 million euros.