Almost a third of the medical staff at the Budva Health Center will soon be doctors from Russia, for whom the metropolis of tourism has become a second home.
Dom zdravlja Budva in the past two years, since he took over management Blazo Radoman, managed to provide the necessary 17 doctors, twice as many as it had in 2022, with the latest ongoing competition, thus complying with the norm stipulated by the health regulations regarding the number of doctors in relation to the number of inhabitants. Namely, five doctors, two of whom will soon be employed, are Russian citizens.
Budva experienced a demographic boom in the past decade. The number of inhabitants has increased several times, which has led to the problem of providing a shortage of medical staff.
Radoman told "Vijesti" that they managed to secure the necessary number of doctors in order to provide quality health care.
"It is necessary to say that according to the 2023 population census, Budva had 26.667 inhabitants, or 39 percent more than in the 2011 census. The number of households, according to the last census, is 10.842, or 50 percent more than 14 years ago, while number of apartments 34.255, which is an increase of 46 percent. To this number of inhabitants, we should always add the number of issued temporary residence permits of some 23, which to some extent agrees with our information that we have 45 insured persons in Budva, that is, persons registered in the Health Insurance Fund. Of course, here we do not count the summer tourist season, as well as the part of our fellow citizens who are from other municipalities of Montenegro, who work and live in Budva, and have not changed their place of residence. So, to me, the fact that Budva is a city with some 55.000 to 60.000 inhabitants is realistic," Radoman told "Vijesti".
According to him, taking into account these statistical data, the Health Center is obliged to provide medical staff:
"There is a Rulebook on Norms and Standards, which foresees a minimum of 1.200 insured persons, a maximum of 2.000, and an average of 1.600 is calculated for one selected doctor. If we take the number of inhabitants according to the last census, according to the Rulebook on Internal Organization and Systematization of Jobs, 17 elected doctors for adults are foreseen".
He points out that Budva is specific when it comes to doctors, explaining that a large number of foreign citizens, including doctors, came, especially after the unfortunate events in Ukraine and Russia:
"With a certain procedure, they can establish an employment relationship and we have such cases in our Health Center... According to the Law on Recognition of Foreign Educational Documents, when it comes to doctors coming from Serbia, those who graduated by February 2008 from the Medical University the faculty does not require nostrification of the diploma. For all other persons, specifically from Russia and Ukraine, the first step they must complete in order to be able to apply is to have their diploma certified by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation. The second paper is related to the Ministry of Health, i.e. the Faculty of Medicine in Podgorica, where a decision on the equalization of qualifications is obtained... And the third paper is a certificate of passing the Montenegrin language".
Only with these three documents, as Radoman states, and after meeting the requirements of the competition, can foreign citizens start an employment relationship.
"Then they get a decision on admission and with it they have to get a residence permit at the MUP branch, which for doctors goes through an accelerated procedure. I must publicly thank that we have a very correct cooperation with the MUP branch in Budva, when doctors, foreign citizens, apply for residence, because they are issued temporary residence as soon as possible, in most cases for one year. So we currently have three doctors from Russia at the Health Center. I must say that they are very good workers and that they were well received by our fellow citizens and insured persons. One of them, who was employed at the end of last year, is assigned to the health center Petrovac, where our policyholders are extremely satisfied with the way and quality of the provision of health services... Currently, the procedure is underway for three more doctors to start working at the Budva Health Center, from two of which are from Russia and one from Serbia. In this way, we will have a total of 17 doctors, as stipulated by the regulations", said Radoman.
He pointed out that two more doctors, from Montenegro and Serbia, want to work at the health center and that he believes that "conditions will be created for them as well." He said that he does not believe that there will be any problems with Kadorva in the coming period, but that we should look ahead. "The new law on health care is in the parliamentary procedure, after it passed the public discussion. It provides that 75 to 80 percent of health services are provided at the level of primary health care, which would relieve the burden on the secondary and tertiary levels. In this way, the number of specialist doctors who will be in health centers increases. We hope to provide that staff by sending doctors to specializations... Care must be taken to solve the housing issue. As soon as the doctor solves the housing issue, and many of them are tenants, I believe that they would be "attached" to Budva in the long term. This is one of the ways for us to keep them, because I know that doctors have a lot of offers from abroad... The departure of just one doctor from the system means an increase in the workload for the existing staff".
Doctors from Cuba wanted a job
To show that Budva is indeed attractive for medical professionals to establish a working relationship, Radoman cites the example of a married couple from Cuba.
"Last year, doctors, a married couple from Cuba, came to the Health Center. They came to the interview and really showed great interest and willingness to start working. Then I introduced them to the whole procedure, as prescribed by the country's laws... Unfortunately, it was the language barrier that made them give up".
The renovation of the first floor worth 1,2 million is starting
Radoman announced that they had successfully completed the tender procedure for the adaptation of the first floor of the Health Center.
"The contract will be signed these days, the renovation of the entire first floor, a total of 1.200 square meters, is underway. The value of the investment is slightly less than 1,2 million euros. We applied for the project through the Ministry of Health, the Directorate for Capital Projects approved the financing of the project".
As he points out, the project envisages the construction of new specialist clinics, a new center for mental health, occupational medicine, gynecology, hygiene and epidemiological service.
"All this according to EU standards. The deadline for the completion of adaptation works is 365 days, and then we start the process of accreditation of institutions. When you receive a certificate, it means that everything you receive at the Health Center, such as a medical report, is a credible document, recognized on the territory of the EU," said Radoman.
He announced that the Health Center will receive a donation from the Municipality of Budva these days - two new ambulances, with a total value of 100 thousand euros.
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