Veles, 9 February 2022 (MIA) – Deinstitutionalisation resumes, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Jovanka Trenchevska said Wednesday in Veles where she inaugurated an assisted living unit that accommodates five former patients of the Demir Kapija institution for people with special needs. A team of professionals will take care of them 24/7 according to the individual needs of the patients. The Labor Ministry is committed to implementing the national deinstitutionalization strategy 2018-2027 even amid the pandemic, vowed Trenchevska. “Deinstitutionalisation is a long-term process requiring efforts and dedication all the while bringing us closer to the European social protection practices and standards,” she said, adding that the cooperation of the Ministry and the civil associations and the local authorities in providing social services demonstrates how one society for all should be established. Veles Mayor Marko Kolev called for raising of public awareness about people with disabilities to be accepted as equal partners in the society. Steffen Hudolin of the EU Delegation to North Macedonia said the societies have to learn how to fight against discrimination and view diversity from a positive angle. Deinstitutionalisation was launched in 2017 when more than 480 patients, children and adults, were accommodated in residential institutions. Since then, all children and teenagers under 18 have been placed in small group homes leaving less than 240 people in these institutions.