More than 200 doctors on specialization asked the authorities to increase the fees for separate living from 108 and 333 euros to over 600 euros.
The interns sent the petition to the Prime Minister two days ago Milojko Spajić, to the Minister of Health Vojislav Šimun, to the Minister of Finance Novici Vuković, to the director of the Health Insurance Fund Vuk Kadić and the President of the Parliamentary Committee for Health, Labor and Social Welfare Dražen Petrić.
The petition states that residents and other colleagues who support them are asking for urgent action to increase financial allocations for separate living within the budget for 2025.
"So far, the funds that have been paid to residents for a separate life abroad during the resident internship amounted to a measly 333 euros or 108 euros for residents who stayed in Podgorica from other cities of Montenegro for their internship. We appeal to the authorities to increase the current funds to a single figure of over 600 euros in net amount for all residents, regardless of which health institution they specialize in," reads the petition, which "Vijesti" had access to.
The doctors reminded the authorities that as residents they have the lowest coefficient for earnings compared to all doctors of medicine, and that during their separate lives they do not have the possibility of additional income based on supplementary and overtime work, as well as supplementary work in the private sector.
They also pointed out that their living expenses in the country, and especially abroad, which includes paying for an apartment, utilities and other expenses, exceeded the figures of 108 and 333 euros a long time ago.
"We emphasize that a part of the residents have formed families, which additionally requires an increase in the cost of living in the places where they do their education outside of their permanent residence, especially abroad. Among the residents, there are colleagues who are single parents, and for these reasons, their residency experience during their separate lives is made even more difficult in terms of providing basic means for the existence of their families," the petition states.
The doctors reminded the authorities of Article 77 of the Constitution of Montenegro, according to which the state helps and encourages the development of science, saying that officials are obliged to support the allocation of money for science within their competences.
"We expect your quick, efficient and positive action regarding this petition within your jurisdiction. We do not want to believe that as doctors on whom the future of healthcare in Montenegro rests, in terms of realizing our rights, we are reaching for legal methods of civil activism in accordance with Article 52 of the Constitution", concluded the doctors in the petition.
In January of this year, at a meeting with the Minister of Health, the trainees requested, among other things, an increase in financial resources for separate living. At that time, as stated in the announcement, Šimun promised the residents that he would consider each of their suggestions and that as a doctor who, as he said, faced similar problems not so long ago, he would advocate that the representatives of the white coats enjoy the rights they deserve.
During 2022, doctors complained that they were late for two separate living allowances. For those who are undergoing specialization in the country, that is, in the Clinical Center of Montenegro, and who come from other cities, the fee in 2023 was reduced from 333 to 108 euros. The specialists then claimed that they had been harmed, while they stated from the Ministry of Health's convocation at the time that this issue is regulated by the Regulation on Compensation of Salary Expenses on the Public Sector and that compensation of 330 euros is provided only for those who specialize outside of our country, because they them "and the cost of living is higher".
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