Dr. Tamara Vujović, Assistant Minister of Health from the opposition, states that it is indisputably in the public interest to maintain the Meljine Hospital in the Montenegrin healthcare system, for the sake of citizens' safety.
"Until when will the Hospital in Meljina be in the public health system of Montenegro?" Until the end of a certain legal dispute between the Government and the Atlas consortium, until the elections or forever," asks Dr. Vujović.
We would like to remind you that due to the possibility that the General Hospital in Meljine will cease to operate and in order to protect the public interest and provide quality health care for approximately 35.000 residents of the municipality of Herceg Novi, the Government of Montenegro decided on August 3 that the Hospital should be temporarily included in the public healthcare system.
Dr. Vujović explains that in the plans and strategies for health development, there is no mention of the expansion of hospital capacities, but rather the rationalization of the hospital sector, that is, the number of beds.
"Previously, it was announced that bed capacities are empty in secondary health care. How to find here a measure of concern for the public interest, health care of the population, and financial sustainability of the system. The question of "temporary" in this solution and financing remains unclear", states Dr. Vujović.
He also asks whether "it is in the public and security interest to include other private health institutions in the system, such as the "Codra" clinic, and where is the line of "public interest".
Stating that the current government has allowed the "chosen" to buy and behave like this for years, Dr. Vujović states that "the new Government and the Assembly will have to decide on this issue in a very serious and responsible manner.
"For now, peace has been bought until the elections, and that seems to be the most important thing," concludes Dr. Vujović.
Find a model for sustainable functioning of the Hospital
For the functioning of the Hospital system in Meljine, 5 million euros are needed per year, recalls Dr. Vujović and states that in the first years after the privatization of the Military Hospital in Meljine, the Health Fund paid 2,6 million euros for the services provided to the insured, mainly from Herceg Novi, as and that the Hospital generated its own income of 1,5 million euros.
"Even with the support of the State and our own efforts: hiring consultants, providing additional services such as eye surgery, the system was not sustainable even then. But, at that time, the customer - the Atlas Group, was "at the mercy of the State", so sometimes services that were not provided were paid for, and more services were performed than were indicated," states Dr. Vujović.
"After 10 years, it was finally determined that the investor did not comply with the contract, and now the accounts are settled. The data that the Health Fund paid 1,25 million euros to the Hospital in Meljine for half a year last year, and 738 thousand euros for the same period this year, speaks volumes," says Dr. Vujović.
"The share of the state was reduced by 40 percent, because, among other things, expensive services, such as the hyperbaric chamber, were "assigned" to another, also private health institution. Now someone else is "at mercy". "No one wants to defend an irresponsible investor, but there is negligence on the part of the State," stated Dr. Vujović.
She is categorical that for the sake of quality health care for the citizens of Herceg Novi, a model should be found for the Hospital in Meljine to survive and function sustainably.
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