Amendments to the Sectoral Collective Agreement (GKU) for the healthcare sector will be completed by the end of the year, and from 2026, healthcare workers will have increased salaries based on new coefficients, said the Minister of Health. Vojislav Šimun.
Simon answered the parliamentary question Boris Mugoša (SD), who pointed to the finding of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms that physiotherapists are discriminated against in terms of salaries. Mugoša reminded that this profession is "not valued properly", and stated that the amendments to the GKU at the end of 2022 increased the coefficients for medical and non-medical staff in public health institutions, but that physiotherapists were not included in these increases.
According to Mugoša, bachelors in applied physiotherapy with 180 ECTS credits remained at a coefficient of 8,35, while those with 240 ECTS credits remained at a coefficient of 9,37, which the Protector considered discriminatory. At the end of 2023, coefficients were increased for employees at the "Dr Simo Milošević" Institute, but not for physiotherapists in the rest of the public health system, which is why the Protector recommended that the coefficients be equalized.
Mugoša asked the Minister whether there were objective and measurable reasons for such a difference in salaries, and why the Ministry had not responded to the Ombudsman's opinion.
Šimun pointed out that the Ministry acted on the recommendation and formed a working group to amend the GKU, which includes representatives from the ministries of health, finance, labor and social dialogue, as well as representative trade unions.
"Justice will be done"
Prophet Zoran Mikić (URA) pointed out that the Montenegrin healthcare system has seen a number of deaths in recent months. He stated that two babies have died in a hospital in Nikšić in the past two years, and recalled the death of a woman in labor in Ulcinj.
"Since I submitted the parliamentary question, two more tragic cases have been recorded - the death of a boy from Bar and a patient in Nikšić. Do you feel objective responsibility and do you intend to resign because of this? Will there be any dismissals due to these events?" Mikić asked.
Minister Šimun responded that in all cases the facts and responsibility must be established, recalling that this has already been done in some proceedings, including the case of the death of a woman in labor from Ulcinj.
He said that the director of the Nikšić hospital immediately appeared at the facility to ensure complete transparency of the proceedings. According to the minister, although the official autopsy report is awaited, measures have been taken at the hospital – two nurses have been suspended, and one has been fired in the meantime.
"Justice will be served, and if there is individual responsibility, it will be clearly and precisely determined," said Šimun.
"It's not good to make a victim out of someone who doesn't respect the law"
Šimun also addressed the dismissal of the former director of the Health Insurance Fund. Vuk Kadić, assessing that the decision was not politically motivated.
"Perhaps his appointment itself had a political character - at that time one Board of Directors was dissolved, another was formed, the systematization and statute were changed. But Kadić, although he presented himself as a non-partisan person, had his own list in the local elections. And that is an interesting fact. And now he wants to present it as if this was a political dismissal, although it was made due to a violation of the law. It is not good to make a victim out of someone who does not respect the law," the minister stated.
Mikić recalled that, after the deaths of babies in the Bijelo Polje hospital, the then Minister of Health, Miodrag Radunović, resigned. He assessed that the public was informed with an unacceptable delay in the case of the baby's death in Nikšić.
"The child died on Saturday evening, and only by Monday afternoon did very few people know about it. Neither the hospital nor the Ministry went public - that was done by the family. I am not claiming that anyone wanted to hide anything, but the public's right to be informed was not respected," said the MP, adding that he believes that someone in the healthcare system should bear responsibility for all of this.
Diploma checks underway, people who were hired based on forged documents dismissed
To a parliamentary question Sladjane Kaluđerović (SNP) on whether the Ministry of Health has data on discovered cases of employment in health institutions based on invalid or falsified diplomas, and whether a comprehensive verification of the authenticity of diplomas and licenses of health workers has been carried out or is planned, especially those who have acquired qualifications in private adult education institutions, Health Minister Vojislav Šimun responded that these checks are ongoing.
Šimun stated that upon taking office, he first checked the diplomas of employees at the Ministry of Health, and that the Health Insurance Fund did the same.
"A check of all diplomas of employees in all healthcare institutions in Montenegro has been ordered. As a result of that check, in the middle of last year we had several cases, primarily in the Bijelo Polje General Hospital and several other institutions, where forged diplomas allegedly issued by the First Secondary Vocational School in Nikšić were discovered. People who were employed on the basis of such documents were fired, and criminal charges were filed," he said.
He added that extraordinary, stricter controls will be implemented in both private and public healthcare institutions.
He called on citizens to submit complaints or doubts regarding the quality of treatment to the Health and Sanitary Inspection and the Commission for Extraordinary Controls.
Šimun: The job was "drawn up", "Vrbica" is still on the payroll
Prophet Jevto Erakovic (DPS) recalled that back in October, he had requested an explanation from the Minister of Health, Vojislav Šimun, regarding the changes in the systematization and data on the number of new employees at the Ministry of Health since 2021, including those hired under temporary contracts. He stated that instead of an answer about the requested period, he had received information about decisions that had only been made at the Government session held a few days earlier.
"I'm asking you on October 26th what happened before that, and you're explaining to me the events of November 20th. But I can be more precise — in August, the systematization was changed so that one employee would lose his job. It's about a man who was active on social networks under the nickname Radosav Vrbica," Eraković said.
He added that the minister, in his opinion, did not want to talk about that amendment today, but focused on the changes adopted recently. Eraković assessed that people who engage in satire or criticism of the government should not be punished in society, emphasizing that he is against hate speech, but that he is concerned about, as he stated, pressures, arrests, court proceedings and now - dismissals.
"People lose their jobs just because they expressed a position that someone doesn't like," he said.
Minister Šimun responded that the aforementioned employee was referred to the Human Resources Administration and that he is still formally on the payroll of the Ministry of Health.
"I don't know who you're talking about as a satirist, I don't have any mimers working for me, nor anyone named Vrbica. I only found out about that story when he was brought to the SDT, so a colleague asked me if he worked for us. I don't follow other people's posts on social media. It was a job that was specifically created, for which there was no longer a need. That job could have been done by any other person in the ministry. It was a fictional, drawn-out job," said Šimun.
Šimun: Negative natural growth requires a coordinated public policy approach
Prophet Velimir Djokovic (NSD) was interested in what measures to encourage the birth rate are currently being implemented by the state and what the effects of these programs are.
Šimun stated in his response that the current negative natural growth requires a broad and coordinated public policy approach, which includes not only the health sector, but also economic, business and social measures. According to him, Montenegro, despite the challenges, is recording relatively more favorable population growth compared to most countries in the region and the European Union, which is partly the result of a positive migration balance.
Šimun stated that the Ministry is implementing several programs that indirectly affect the increase in the birth rate — from strengthening the reproductive health of women and couples, the operation of counseling centers and schools for pregnant women, to improved access to in vitro fertilization services.
"The number of in vitro fertilization attempts financed from the budget has increased and the age limit for inclusion in the program has been expanded, so that as many citizens as possible have the opportunity to start a family," said Šimun.
He added that preliminary Monstat data show positive natural growth in eight municipalities in the first nine months of this year.
Abdić: Waiting lists are the longest ever
Prophet Nermin Abdić (DPS) raised questions about the general state of the healthcare system and pointed out that waiting lists for specialist examinations and surgeries are longer than ever. He stated that some patients wait up to nine months for an X-ray.
"The healthcare system is in a state of self-destruction. Check it out for yourself - people wait months for an X-ray. How long do they wait for a scanner? For a consultative examination? Do you wonder what the problem is," Abdić asked the minister.
He invited Šimun to visit the Clinical Center's polyclinic together, where, as he said, he could hear directly from citizens their assessments of the functioning of the healthcare system.
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