Covid was also a training for doctors

Doctors who have not completed continuing medical education in accordance with the law in previous years will be recognized as having provided healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, so that they can renew their work licenses.

This stems from the provisions of the new Law on Health Care, which was accepted by the Ministry of Health, at the proposal of the Medical Chamber.

"Healthcare workers who have not completed continuing medical education in accordance with the Law on Health Care, due to the duration of the COVID-19 epidemic, declared in accordance with the law regulating the protection of the population from infectious diseases, will have their continuous medical education recognized in the license renewal process for providing health care during the epidemic, based on a certificate from the health care institution in which these workers provided health care," reads Article 255 of the new Law, which entered into force on August 14 of this year.

The Medical Chamber previously informed its membership that they had contacted the Ministry of Health in a timely manner, pointing out several key facts that had affected the ability of doctors to fulfill their legally prescribed obligations regarding continuing medical education.

"Especially emphasizing two: that the previous licensing period was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which ended globally in 2023, while in Montenegro it lasted until 2025, and that the chronic deficit of doctors in the healthcare system makes it difficult for them to attend professional training courses to the planned extent, despite the legal obligation of institutions to enable them to do so," the notice to the membership states.

The Chamber, they explain, proposed to the Ministry of Health that the point criteria for license renewal be defined at 60 points and that a Commission for taking the licensing exam be formed as an additional mechanism in cases where a doctor cannot meet the required number of points. The proposal was also accepted that all doctors who participated in the care of patients with COVID-19 should have their engagement recognized as a form of medical education and be given points accordingly.

262 doctors and 15 nurses have completed training at the expense of private pharmaceutical companies in the past three years, according to data published by "Vijesti" last week.

The Ministry of Health accepted the Chamber's proposal to value the participation of doctors in the care of COVID-19 patients as a form of medical education and to recognize the appropriate number of points in the license renewal process, and after the adoption of this proposal by the Government, the majority of MPs in the Parliament voted for this solution.

Additionally, by adopting Article 130 of the Law, the Parliament has enabled continuing medical education to include, in addition to participation in educational gatherings (congresses, conferences, symposiums, professional meetings, lectures, courses, narrowly specific education in certain fields of medicine, seminars) and education such as the Internet (e-modules, e-platforms, e-libraries, educational applications), the performance of healthcare activities during an epidemic of an infectious disease, an emergency situation or a state of emergency declared in accordance with the law.

The Chamber previously informed the Ministry of Health that there were several factors that prevented doctors from fulfilling their legal obligations regarding continuous medical education in the previous period - the Covid pandemic that lasted in Montenegro until this year and the chronic shortage of doctors, which makes it difficult to attend professional training courses.

At the beginning of the month, the Chamber informed its membership that the Assembly of that professional association, at its session at the end of the month, had made a decision that work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic, which healthcare institutions issue to their employees in accordance with Article 255 of the current Health Care Law, will be valued at 80 points in the license renewal process.

"In this way, the legislator has given a kind of recognition to all doctors and healthcare workers who, in extremely complex and demanding circumstances, have made an immeasurable contribution to preserving the health of the population. This has recognized and valued their professional commitment within the system of continuous medical education," the Chamber's statement concludes.