OPINION

Prevention is never enough

In a country that lacks dozens of judges and where verdicts are rarely delivered within a reasonable time, security is not satisfactory, which all its citizens suffer

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Photo: Facebook
Photo: Facebook
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

I have often written about the lack of prevention in healthcare, which I will also mention on this occasion. One of the government documents, among other things, states: "Through the reform at all levels of health care, which we designed precisely and in detail, our goal is the development of quality and accessible public health care, which is based on universality, solidarity, equality, fair financing and security. In order to improve the health and well-being of the population and reduce health inequalities, we adopt and implement measures to strengthen and protect health, prevent diseases and improve the health literacy of citizens of Montenegro". This is an ordinary populist story for the public and for the "clear conscience" of those who wrote it!

When we talk about non-communicable and infectious diseases, prevention usually means early detection and timely treatment of diseases, in which Montenegrin health care is generally not successful. There are also international days dedicated to each disease individually, but even that does not contribute to a satisfactory level of prevention. The main causes of people falling ill lie deep in Montenegrin society, which is full of poverty, lack of social justice, stressful episodes... and everything that destroys human health. Then comes the impossibility of timely treatment, because our healthcare has "moved" to the private sector, where profit is above all else, so patients have to go into debt to pay for medical services at PZU.

The violence that healthcare workers suffer from patients and/or their companions is a consequence of the "moral standards" that brought us the troubled times we live in today, the insufficient involvement of the health authorities as a whole and inadequate sanctions for abusers. Where the state has failed, there is no need to think about patient education because we are all "drinking poison from the same glass", both patients and healthcare workers! Sanctions for bullies are always insufficient, but they serve as a warning to potential bullies (or murderers).

The number of criminal offenses is decreasing, but not eliminated, because there is a lack of prevention in all segments of society.

The so-called "negligent treatment", i.e. the suspicious death of patients, is a consequence of the lack of prevention in the broadest sense of the word, which includes adequate work space and medical equipment, professional and conscientious medical workers and everything that requires modern and safe treatment of patients in all branches of medicine, in to all health institutions. We advertise on this issue sporadically, after tragic events, while in "peacetime" conditions we do nothing to force the authorities to bring the health care situation to a satisfactory level.

As for the so-called peer violence in schools and outside them, it is a problem that everyone must fight together - the state, educational institutions and parents. Solving this problem is one of the biggest challenges for educational institutions of the 21st century. According to Peter Smith (emeritus professor of psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London), author of the book "The Psychology of Peer Bullying", what parents can do to prevent and recognize peer bullying is to provide a safe environment for their children, to watch for signs of a child exposed to peer violence and providing support if he confides in them. Parents should cooperate with the school and be involved in anti-bullying programs. At school, students are surrounded by professors who have knowledge of pedagogy, while school security (where there is one) should never leave the building and must be ready to react.

Again, I have to mention the society, poisoned by hatred and rich in violent people, from those who only swear to hardened criminals, who fight with weapons on the streets of Montenegrin cities. All these difficult-to-eradicate phenomena affect our children and youth, and the fight against peer violence and any kind of violence becomes difficult and uncertain. In a country that lacks dozens of judges and where verdicts are rarely delivered within a reasonable time, security is not satisfactory, which all its citizens suffer from. Instead of the competent institutions devoting themselves to ensuring appropriate working conditions for the judicial branch of government (spatial and personnel), the Criminal Code is planned to be amended so that detention could last up to five years, instead of the current three. This too can be called "prevention", but in the wrong direction. As for example should we extend primary schooling to ten (10) years, because our children learn poorly?!

For about fifteen days, we eagerly awaited every news broadcast, hoping that they would publish the news about the arrest of the double murderer, who was being chased by the elite units of the police and the Montenegrin army, with support from the air. Even in that case, prevention was missing, because someone did not properly assess the mental state and habits of a person who is always ready to kill. Profilers are not in fashion here! Permits to carry weapons are issued on the spot, with a "superficial" assessment by a medical commission, so armed potential miscreants walk not only on the streets and at parties, but also in institutions, including health...

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(Opinions and views published in the "Columns" section are not necessarily the views of the "Vijesti" editorial office.)