Grbović: Superficial, tendentious and unfounded claims regarding alleged shortages of reagents at the hospital in Pljevlja

The Director of the General Hospital in Pljevlja, Saša Grbović, called the claims that have appeared in public in recent days, related to the alleged shortage of reagents for certain laboratory analyses performed at that health institution, superficial, tendentious and unfounded.

The Municipal Committee (MC) of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Pljevlja announced earlier today that it has been impossible to perform basic laboratory blood tests at the city hospital for a long time.

"The biochemical laboratory of our institution operates according to all professional standards, up-to-date, timely, and adequately responding to all diagnostic requirements. What must be emphasized is that in the post-COVID period, the number of referrals for certain analyses has increased enormously, primarily CRP and D-Dimer analyses. For example, before the COVID period, CRP analysis was performed by determining only positive or negative. Today, the situation is different and the laboratory is significantly burdened with these analyses, the procurement of which is not at all simple, but is subject to the public procurement procedure. We are witnesses that this year began with a blockade of the parliament, the result of which is the fact that the budget has not been adopted and that we are on a temporary financing regime, which has caused a delay in the approval of the public procurement plan and therefore the procurement process is also delayed," said Grbović in a statement submitted to "Vijesti".

Despite these difficulties, he points out, there is enough of all reagents, including CRP, for all emergencies, hospital patients, and sensitive categories such as pregnant women, children, and oncology patients.

"As for outpatients, in the event of a shortage of certain reagents, certificates are issued for their reimbursement by the Health Insurance Fund, which also adequately solves this problem. The work of the laboratory and its burden due to indiscriminate testing are best illustrated by the figures that a total of 654.137 thousand analyses were performed last year. Considering that the laboratory serves both the General Hospital and the Health Center, we emphasize that only 79.000 thousand analyses were performed on hospital patients, while all other analyses were performed on outpatient patients from the primary health care level. We emphasize that in the future, hospital patients, as well as any emergency, will not lack any reagents, but they will be performed in a timely manner," emphasizes the head of the Pljevlja hospital.

Grbović also addressed the information that has emerged in the public in recent days regarding the costs of building a new hospital in Pljevlja.

"We have witnessed sensationalist attempts to speculate about the costs and construction of a new hospital in Pljevlja in recent days. This is purely an unprofessional and superficial takeover of public discourse. Namely, rough estimates of the conceptual architectural solution are being made and an attempt is being made to confuse the public and instill skepticism among the people of Pljevlja who have been waiting for a new hospital for 70 years. The aforementioned project will certainly not stop, the preparation of the final documentation is proceeding according to the planned dynamics, the guarantees that have been provided are clear and it is more than certain that the aforementioned project will be successfully implemented. Unfortunately, such attempts to confuse and panic the public are not just sensationalism and a desire for circulation, but in many ways hypocritical and malicious planting of naked untruths and politicking devoid of any principles," says Grbović.

He claims that the previous management of the Pljevlja General Hospital left it with 30 oxygen bottles during the Covid period, while consumption required over 100 bottles, debts between 300 and 400 thousand, and "a frightening threat to the lives of patients treated in the inpatient unit."

"Among other things, we found 21 patients in the then inpatient unit without any protocol, records, or data on their health condition, which was more than difficult and complex, without knowing who was treating them or how far they had come with their treatment. Today, when over a million euros have been invested in the hospital to purchase new equipment, when debts are in the currency, when a major step has been taken towards the construction of a new facility, they are trying to gain cheap political points and bid for the attention and trust of citizens. Pljevlja General Hospital will continue to modernize and modernize its working conditions and processes and will be ready to welcome the new facility as a historic step forward in the development of healthcare in our city," concluded Grbović.