Three healthcare workers have so far been punished for deaths that occurred late last year - two nurses were fired, while a doctor was given a suspended sentence.
This follows from the Ministry of Health's response to questions about the progress of external control procedures. So far, they said, external control of the quality of healthcare has been completed only in the Nikšić General Hospital, while procedures are ongoing in the Bar Hospital and the Berane Clinical Hospital Center.
"The procedures for external quality control of healthcare at the Bar General Hospital and the Berane Clinical Hospital Center, initiated in connection with the deaths in October and November 2025, were initiated in accordance with the prescribed procedures and are currently ongoing. The external control commissions, established by the Ministry of Health, act professionally and impartially, guided by the applicable normative framework and principles of professional responsibility," the department responded. Vojislav Simon.
They emphasized that, upon completion of other procedures, the Ministry will promptly inform the public about the conclusions and possible measures resulting from the controls conducted, in consultation with the prosecutorial authorities.
In a hospital in Nikšić at the end of October, a newborn baby a few days old died from choking on milk, while in early November, a boy from Bar and a thirty-seven-year-old man from Berane, who had unsuccessfully sought medical help for their ailments, died from sepsis.
Regarding these cases, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica and Bijelo Polje initiated cases.
When asked what has been determined so far in these cases, the Ministry of Health said that the External Control Commission submitted a report regarding the death that occurred at the Nikšić General Hospital, based on which the employment relationship with two nurses was terminated.
"Regarding the death in Bar, following the actions of the Ministry of Health's health and sanitary inspection, the private health institution where the deceased boy was treated was banned from operating, and following the actions of the Bar General Hospital's internal control, a conditional dismissal measure was imposed on a doctor employed at that public health institution," the response reads.
The Ministry of Health said that "an external commission, in the process of being formed due to its international character, will consider the course of the patient's treatment both in a private health institution and in the Bar Hospital and the Institute for Children's Diseases of the Clinical Center of Montenegro."
They also responded that internal control for the quality of healthcare provision at the Clinical Hospital in Berane indicated the existence of certain shortcomings in the treatment of a thirty-seven-year-old patient in November last year.
"With this in mind, disciplinary proceedings have been initiated in accordance with applicable regulations, and until its completion, one doctor has been suspended," the responses state.
When asked which of the doctors was suspended until the disciplinary proceedings were completed, and after an internal review, the Ministry of Health said that "publishing the identities of doctors and nurses is not possible, given the obligation to protect personal data, as well as respecting the principle of the presumption of innocence."
"When it comes to possible suspensions of healthcare workers, we emphasize that all procedures are conducted in accordance with the law and internal regulations of healthcare institutions. In cases where it was necessary to take temporary measures for the smooth conduct of the procedure and the protection of patients' interests, the competent healthcare institutions acted within their legal powers," the response reads.
They concluded that every failure in the healthcare system will be thoroughly and completely investigated, and every responsibility precisely determined and sanctioned, because the safety of patients is an absolute priority. The healthcare system, the Ministry claims, must be based on expertise, responsibility and trust, and where these are violated, a decisive and concrete reaction from the state will follow.
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