KCCG saved 48.000 euros with the new system

Only 17 patients were examined by magnetic resonance last month in private clinics, in contrast to July, when as many as 376 people were referred to "Hippocrates".

Examination costs for private individuals have also been significantly reduced, so in August private individuals were paid less than 2.500 euros for this type of diagnosis, and in July as much as 51.180 euros.

The authorities claim that the number of referrals to private clinics and the costs have been reduced because they switched to a new electronic system and that new appointments for examinations at the Clinical Center (KC) have been opened.

"Vijesti" announced at the end of August that two private clinics (Hippocrates and Tesla) received more than half a million euros from the budget for magnetic resonance (MR) examinations in seven months of this year, even though the Clinical Center acquired another new machine, and the authorities admitted that there was an unjustified referral and organized a new working method of the council for that type of diagnosis. About 420.780 euros were paid to "Hippocrates" - a total of 2.666 patients, referred from public institutions, were examined in that private polyclinic from January to July, and last year in the same period almost twice less.

The reason for the drastic reduction in the number of patients examined by private individuals in August is that a new platform for central scheduling of examinations and a new work schedule at the Department of Radiological Diagnostics of KC was introduced.

The new organization implies that the Council for Magnetic Resonance meets every day and considers about 50 to 60 patients a day, while scheduling examinations for the patients themselves, according to priority. New examination appointments are opened every Monday, and on weekends, the Department's doctors have a third MRI machine at their disposal, in the KC Children's Hospital.

KC told "Vijesta" that 1.400 magnetic resonance examinations were performed at the Center for Radiological Diagnostics last month, which is 300 more than in July.

The institution said that in June and July, there was a delay in scheduling patients through selected doctors for magnetic resonance imaging, due to long waiting lists and patients not showing up for appointments.

"The greater number of patients who underwent this diagnostic procedure in private clinics in the first seven months is a consequence of the large number of requests for MR examinations, as well as the possibility for patients to go to private clinics, if the wait is longer than a month."

The KC said that at the end of July, by order of the Ministry of Health, they started scheduling examinations directly at the Center for Radiological Diagnostics, instead of with selected doctors.

If the wait is longer than a month, patients still have the option of having an examination at a private clinic.

"The number of patients in private clinics is lower in August, compared to the previous months of this year, due to the transition to a new appointment system, which is why it is necessary to fill the list, and new appointments have been introduced. Thus, the total number of examinations in August is higher than in July due to better occupancy, i.e. arrival of patients for examinations and slightly more new appointments. The list of patients was completely empty at the beginning of appointments in August due to the aforementioned transition to the new system, and patients came for check-ups very quickly in the first half of August", answered the KC.