The citizens of Podgorica, Zeta and Tuza these days have access to only four gynecologists in the health centers, while the remaining six are on annual vacations and unplanned sick leave, which is why some patients could not schedule an examination in the near future.
From the Health Center of the Capital City, whose director is Dragana Perović Durković, they confirmed that four gynecologists are working this week and clarified that after the weekend, five selected female doctors will be available to female patients.
Several female patients contacted "Vijesti" in the previous days, claiming that they could not schedule an appointment with their chosen gynecologists or their colleagues in health centers, which is why they are forced to go to private clinics.
8.000 female patients is the upper limit per chosen doctor for women. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Health, a gynecologist can have between 5.000 and 8.000 patients
The Health Center replied that there are currently ten gynecologists in the process of work, while the systematization of jobs foresees 16 elected doctors for women.
"We have four doctors on specialization, and we will announce two specializations in gynecology and obstetrics soon, according to the staffing plan," writes the response of the Health Center.
They said that currently four doctors are on vacation, while starting next week, five doctors will be available to female patients at the city level. The Health Center also explains that they cover the territory of the municipalities of Zeta and Tuzi, and that they provided a gynecologist from another institution for patients from Tuzi. They answered that in those municipalities the gynecologist prescribes once a week.
About 67.000 insured women are registered with selected doctors for women in the largest Montenegrin Health Center.
From that institution, they replied that the norm of gynecologists, that is, the maximum number of registered female patients per chosen doctor for women, is 8.000.
They reminded that the selected doctors for women work in four health centers - Blok V, Student polyclinic, Stari aerodrome and Konik.
The Ministry of Health, headed by Vojislav Šimun, did not answer "Vijesti"'s question about the optimal number of female patients per gynecologist based on legal and by-laws.
According to the Rulebook on closer conditions regarding standards, norms and methods of providing primary health care through a selected team of doctors or a selected physician, the number of insured persons per gynecologist is on average 6.500 (for women aged 13 to 65). In that document, it is stated that the minimum number of insured persons per gynecologist is 5.000, and the maximum is 8.000.
The Director of the Podgorica Health Center, Dragana Perović Durković, who was elected to this position at the end of February this year, previously said in an interview with "Vijesta" that there is a shortage of gynecological staff.
"There is a shortage of gynecologists in our institution, six specialists are missing. We are trying to make up for this deficiency through the additional engagement of doctors," she said earlier.
At the time, Perović Durković announced that the situation is solid in the Chosen Doctor for Adults service, explaining that they received six young doctors in March and that according to the systematization currently in force, they have a sufficient number of teams. She said that in terms of personnel, they still strengthened that key service of the Health Center, although part of the staff is always on sick leave or vacation.
When it comes to selected pediatricians, the Health Center of the Capital City has 25 selected children's doctors, while five pensioners are hired under a work contract.
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