Thanks to Germany's donation of almost 3,2 million euros, Montenegrin citizens will have therapy for recovery from covid-19 infection in the coming period.
Minister of Health Jelena Borovinić Bojović she told "Vijesta" that Montenegro received 1.536 units of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) Casirivimab and monoclonal antibodies (mAb) Imdevimab from Germany. She explained that it is a therapy that is given intravenously and serves to strengthen the immune system and strengthen the defense mechanism in response to the disease.
"This therapy is used during the first few days of infection because it is only effective then and only in strict indications. Candidates are patients in whom there are indications that they will develop a more serious clinical picture," said Borovinić Bojović.
She emphasized that this therapy, per patient, is worth over two thousand euros.
"So far, the Ministry of Health has provided citizens with absolutely every medicine that exists in the world, which is used during recovery from covid-19. After we secured a certain amount of monoclonal antibodies from our own funds, but also through donations, in August, we have now also received a donation from Germany, worth 3.172.454 euros," specified Dr. Borovinić Bojović.
She is led the Government delegation during an official visit to the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin from Thursday, October 21 to yesterday.
At the invitation of the German authorities and the Charité University Hospital, Borovinić Bojović attended the opening of the World Health Summit.
In addition to the Minister of Health, the delegation also includes the Director of the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) Ljiljana Radulovic, director of the Institute for Public Health (IJZ) Igor Galić, epidemiologist Milica Stanišić, manager of the quality system of the IJZ Miljana Pavličić and adviser to the prime minister Ananije Jovanović.
Borovinić Bojović clarified that with the help of the donation of monoclonal antibodies, which are used in the initial phase of the fight against covid-19, they will try to suppress the disease at the very beginning. She reminded that in August, Montenegro started the procurement of antibodies that are used in infected patients, who do not need additional oxygen therapy.
KCCG director Ljiljana Radulović said from Berlin that the treatment of patients will always be in line with the highest European recommendations. She explained that during November, four KCCG doctors and two nurses will undergo training at the Charité University Hospital.
It was announced from KCCG that during the visit to this University Hospital, telemedicine was singled out as a topic, which would enable doctors from Berlin to work with patients, albeit remotely.
"The topics can be both individual cases and possible changes in the recommendations for the treatment of covid patients," said Radulović.
The Ministry of Health announced that cooperation on this issue has been agreed and that Montenegro will be the first country in the Western Balkans with which Germany will cooperate in the field of telemedicine.
"Telemedicine is one of the basic elements of modern medicine. Through the pilot project that Montenegro will implement with the Robert Koch Institute and the Charité University Hospital, we will try to connect the entire Western Balkans, which will be a further step on the way to membership in the European Union," said Borovinić Bojović.
During the stay of the Montenegrin delegation in Germany, the representatives of the IJZ and the Robert Koh Institute signed a memorandum which provided for professional training, scientific research and other public health activities...
It was announced that the IJZ will work with colleagues from Berlin on improvement and organization in emergency situations, promotion of public health, surveillance and monitoring of infectious and non-infectious diseases.
Thanks to the previous cooperation of the IJZ with the Robert Koch Institute, an analysis of surveillance and response to the covid-19 pandemic was carried out in May.
It was reported that, in addition, the staff of the molecular diagnostics laboratory were trained in SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing and received certificates.
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