A new Day Centre for people with disabilities has opened in Kochani. The opening was attended by Social Policy, Demography and Youth Minister Gjoko Velkovski, Kochani Mayor Vladko Grozdanov and Red Cross Secretary General Sait Saiti.

The centre is intended for people over 26 with severe physical, intellectual or combined disabilities. It will offer activities for personal development, socialisation and greater independence, adapted to the needs of each user. Capacity, according to the minister, is 12 users a month.

"They mean creating opportunities, support for families and building a society in which every person has an equal chance to be active and included in the community," Velkovski said, and the ministry is announcing an expansion of social services closer to citizens, in their local communities.

Twelve places mean a lot to the twelve families that get them. But the number should be looked at soberly, not through the photos from the opening. How many people over 26 with severe disabilities in the Kochani area are waiting for a service like this - and did anyone count them before deciding the size of the centre?