Beltsamariter – First participants successfully completed training!

The “Beltsamariter” project is reporting first successes. In a formal ceremony on 17 March 2013 on board the ferry “Deutschland”, members of the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Germany (ASB) and Dansk Folkehjaelp received their diplomas after a successful joint training. The ceremony was led by Heribert Roehrig, managing director of German ASB Heiligenhafen and on the Danish side by Dansk Folkehjaelp Secretary General Klaus Nørlem.

With the EU project “Beltsamariter” the ASB Schleswig-Holstein and Danish Folkehjaelp aim to gain volunteers from the Fehmarn Belt region for medical services and visiting services for elderly people after training in both countries.The project was started on 1st April 2012. It will initially run for three years and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

Now, after almost a year, the first 25 participants from both countries have gained their cross-border qualification. First of all, the participants on both sides learned the language of the partner country to reach the A2 level (approx. 114 sessions according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

In addition, a cultural meeting to get to know each other took place to identify the characteristics of both countries and provide an understanding of the neighbours.

After successfully finishing the language course the participants have attended a comprehensive two week specialized course for the medical or visiting service. These specialized courses dealt with the systems of the medical or visiting service in both countries. Several excursions took place, e.g. as part of the visiting service course German and Danish nursing homes were visited.

The members of the medical service course carried out joint exercises in addition to a comparison of the medical service systems in Denmark and Germany. Except the language courses carried out at national level all courses were all held jointly, mainly on the ferry Puttagarten- Rødby while crossing the Belt.

So far, the goals in the most important core areas have been fully achieved according to the two project managers, Egesborg Thomas Pederson on the Danish side and Stephan Andersen on the German side. All those involved can be proud of what they have accomplished to date. Joint operations in the areas of medical and visiting services in both countries have been agreed on as well as semi-annual refresher courses.

To keep in contact, the members are networked via the Members’ Forum at beltsamariter.eu.

Further information can be found on the Beltsamariter project page.