The number of patients who are referred for treatment outside the country will be reduced because a lot of money is allocated for these purposes, announced the Minister of Health Budimir Šegrt, stating that the potential of private health institutions will be used.
He said that the health system in Montenegro is extremely large and that it meets its purpose to the greatest extent possible in terms of the quality and number of services provided.
According to him, it is normal for such systems to have certain problems in their function.
"The problems of the health system are the unenviable level of quality of the health service and the inefficiency in functioning, which is expressed through financing," said Šegrt to the MINA agency.
He explained that this means that the system is spending much more than it should at this stage of development.
"Unnecessary spending on medicines, enormous costs paid by the state for sick leave over 60 days and unnecessary outflow of funds from the health system that go to treatment outside of Montenegro," explained Šegrt.
He pointed out that the competent institutions should eliminate these problems.
"Primarily, the Ministry of Health and the Health Fund should do their job in terms of monitoring and controlling expenses for those purposes, and it is necessary to analyze spending to see if the expenses are justified or not," said Šegrt.
A big problem, as he pointed out, is the absence of a systematic approach to permanent professional education.
"If you do not pay adequate attention to this issue over a long period of years, then it must be reflected in a worse level of health care services. And that's why most often doctors go outside of Montenegro", says Šegrt.
He said that the professional training plan for next year has already been prepared and that for the first time funds for professional training have been projected in the budget.
"Professional training will become an obligation for all employees in the health system, not a privilege," said Šegrt, stating that until now it was a matter of personal interest and the ability to finance such a thing personally.
He said that for the next year, it is planned to increase control when it comes to medicines, sick leave, concluding contracts in a different way and contracting for the provision of medical services for residents of Montenegro outside the country.
"We will try to use the potential of private health institutions within the limits. The competence and conditions of private health institutions are, fortunately, much different compared to ten or 15 years ago," said Šegrt.
He reminded that the Ministry has many contracts with private institutions that provide a large number of quality services.
In relation to the contract of the Health Insurance Fund with private pharmacies, the apprentice recalled that it was concluded because there had been a continuous shortage of drugs on the market for the past year or two.
"Our experience for these seven, eight months is that Monetfarm works in an incomparably better and more organized manner," he said.
According to him, the tender for the procurement of medicines for the next year has been opened and the Ministry hopes that in the first or second week of January everything will be defined and the procurement of medicines will begin according to the tender.
"So we will not repeat the mistake of last year, which was that the tender was not completed until March and that there were terrible shortages in the first three months," said Šegrt.
He said that sufficient amounts of funds have been provided and that a good assessment of material consumption at the level of the year has been made. "And I don't see any reason that there will be a shortage of drugs on any issue."
"If there is no shortage of medicines, then most likely there will be no need to conclude contracts similar to this one with private pharmacies," the minister pointed out.
He said that in the coming period, he will take measures so that patients are more satisfied with the quality of the services provided, which are reflected in better organization and communication within the health system.
"It is the completion of automation and the connection of all health institutions in the information technology program in order to reduce unnecessary patient walks through the system," specified the Apprentice.
Asked whether he plans personnel changes in the healthcare system in the coming period, he answered in the negative.
"We are planning the measures and activities that we will implement. Personnel changes themselves will not be in focus," said Šegrt.
Bonus video:
