Waiting lists at specialists are longer than during the pandemic: There are longer waits with "Faster to the doctor"

Although the authorities claim that the appointment system "Faster to the doctor" has met expectations, the situation in practice is different, because most examinations are waited for three or more months, and for some specialists there are no free appointments even in the next six months.

Waiting lists in the Clinical Center (KC), of which he is the head Ljiljana Radulovic, are much longer than during the previous two years, in the extraordinary circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 300 citizens filled in the "Vijesti" questionnaire about the length of waiting for specialist examinations and diagnostic tests in a few days, and most of them claim that they have been waiting for several months for cardiologists, endocrinologists, neurologists and gastroenterologists, or that there are not even available appointments for some of these specialists. not even until October of this year.

The situation is no better when it comes to children's examinations either, because even the youngest patients have to wait several months for most services. So, for example, a pediatric neurologist is only available in September, and a pulmonologist and physiatrist in August.

At your own expense with a private person

from Nikšić SV is one of the patients who claims that he could not make an appointment with a gastroenterologist at all, so he finally gave up waiting and privately paid 40 euros for this health service.

"There is no gastroenterologist in Nikšić, so I asked the selected doctor for a referral to the Clinical Center. There was no appointment at all, so I went to a private doctor, had an examination and received therapy. I have been going to the endocrinologist for many years and there are no appointments either. "I came twice from Nikšić to Podgorica to personally look for a doctor at the Clinical Center, to ask him to examine me, which he did," SV told "Vijesta".

Another patient, who wanted to remain anonymous, claims that he has been trying to schedule an appointment with an endocrinologist since last summer and was only scheduled for June 28 this year in January, but he could not wait five months, so he also went to a private doctor.

According to the official data of the KC, the longest waiting period is for an examination by a cardiologist, with whom the first available appointment is October 20 of this year. The examination at the eye doctor is only possible from September, as well as at the urologist and ophthalmologist. For endocrinologists, neurologists and gastroenterologists, there are currently no vacancies for the next six months.

A large number of citizens' complaints also refer to waiting for diagnostic tests. According to KC data, the first free appointment for magnetic resonance imaging is in July and August this year.

Patients all over Montenegro, in health centers, wait for months for ultrasound diagnostics.

Patient RB (66) says that he has been waiting three months for an abdominal ultrasound at the Health Center in Podgorica. He told "Vijesti" that he waited seven months for the neurologist's examination and that there was no appointment.

"The chosen doctor claims that there is no place at all and tells me to come when they release appointments at the end of the month. As it is always the second shift, I went several times at 14 p.m. to get instructions and he tells me that all the appointments have already passed," said RB.

Children at the cardiologist in two months, at the neurologist in five months

Even children with health problems, for whom mandatory treatment has been proposed, have to wait until August for certain examinations.

MR from Podgorica says that at the end of March, her daughter was injured during physical education class at school, but that the children's physiatrist, although physical therapy is recommended as mandatory, cannot examine her at the KC Children's Hospital before August 22.

"The girl was injured on 29.03. in PE class at school, her knee fell out of its socket. The ambulance responded and treated her injury in the physical education room and took her directly to the orthopedist at the children's hospital. After the X-ray, the orthopedist suggested strict rest at home and a check-up in two weeks. At the selected pediatrician, we received a referral for a new visit to the orthopedist for the end of May, as the first available appointment. Then of course we were forced to go for a private inspection. After the injury was repaired in the first phase, the orthopedist recommended physical therapy as mandatory, given that the muscle that holds the knee is poorly developed, so there is a risk of a new injury. We were told this on 14.04. When we went to the pediatrician with that opinion on the same day to get a referral to a children's physiatrist, we were given August 22.08.2022, XNUMX, as the first available appointment to see a physiatrist at the Children's Hospital. year", she told "Vijesti".

According to KC data, the first available appointment for a pediatric physiatrist is now October 19. Children wait about two and a half months for the scanner scan. Examinations by children's neurologists and ophthalmologists can only be done in September, urologists in August, and with orthopedists and urologists, gastroenterologists and surgeons, if it is not urgent, they can only be done in July. A pediatric cardiologist is available in two months.

They claim that the system is running at full steam

The new central appointment scheduling system, called "Faster to the doctor", was introduced at the beginning of December last year. Minister of Health Jelena Borovinić Bojović she said that this will significantly reduce the time and money a patient spends to get a specialist examination and improve health care.

"When a specialist at the hospital requests an examination of a colleague after the examination, the patient receives the date and time of the next check-up on the spot. That patient no longer returns to the chosen doctor to get a referral. In this way, the patient saves time and is not exposed to the risk of exposure to additional infections. On the other hand, the elected doctors, who for years complained that they spend 50 percent of their time just writing instructions, are relieved of that. I expect that each elected doctor will have three more hours a day to devote to patients", Borovinić Bojović announced at the time.

At the end of last month, KCCG assessed that the new appointment system "met all expectations" and that in 83 days, 30.000 examinations were scheduled internally within the institution, of which 14.000 were first specialist examinations, and the rest were control examinations.

They claimed that more than a thousand instructions were for ophthalmologists, radiologists, neurologists and cardiologists, and that in the same period more than 153.000 examinations and diagnostic procedures were performed at the Polyclinic, that is, about 1.800 per day.