Šimun: Investments in the Kolašin Health Center confirm our commitment to strengthening primary healthcare

Investments in the Kolašin Health Center confirm our clear commitment to systematically strengthening primary health care and improving the working conditions of health workers, as well as the quality of the service we provide to citizens, said Minister of Health Vojislav Šimun.

Today, he paid a working visit to the Kolašin Health Center, where, together with the director of the institution, Milan Marković, and the director of the Health Insurance Fund, Aleksandar Ružić, he toured the adapted laboratory department.

During the tour, representatives of the institution pointed out the importance of recently implemented investments in the modernization of laboratory capacities, emphasizing that the total value of the investment is 42.500 euros, the Ministry of Health announced.

The visit continued with a working meeting with the management and leadership of the institution, attended by the Mayor of Kolašin Municipality Petko Bakić, as well as Vice-Presidents Vasilije Ivanović and Miodrag Bulatović, as well as the Director General of the Directorate for IPA and Other Projects and Infrastructure in Health Amra Pepić and the Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Health Lorena Kovačević. During the meeting, the results so far, current investment activities, as well as development directions aimed at further improving the quality and accessibility of health care were discussed.

The interlocutors pointed out that the implementation of the project to adapt the Health Center facility has been underway since March, financed from the capital budget and with a total value of 315.000 euros including VAT. It was emphasized that the planned deadline for completion of the works is six months from the introduction of the contractor into the job, and that the project includes comprehensive interventions in part of the facility, including the improvement of sanitary capacities in the pediatrics and injection departments.

A special focus of the discussion was on improving the health infrastructure in rural areas in Kolašin. In this context, it was announced that the planned adaptation of the clinic in Bare Kraljski will represent the final phase of the cycle of renovation of rural clinics in the municipality, bearing in mind that the works in the clinics in Manastir Morača and Dragovića Polje have already been successfully completed.

During the meeting, further strengthening of the technical and medical equipment of the institution was also discussed. As announced, a loan arrangement with the European Investment Bank is in the final stage of preparation, which envisages the purchase of modern medical equipment worth almost 220.000 euros. The planned investments include, among other things, a digital X-ray machine, ultrasound devices, as well as a modern ambulance adapted to the requirements of mountainous terrain.

Šimun said on that occasion that continuous investments in health infrastructure and improving the working conditions of health institutions are one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Health, especially when it comes to strengthening primary health care and the balanced development of the health system in all regions of the country.

"Investments in the Kolašin Health Center confirm our clear commitment to systematically strengthening primary health care and improving the working conditions of health workers, as well as the quality of the service we provide to citizens. The health system must be equally strong in every part of Montenegro, especially in the north of the country, where additional investments in infrastructure, modern equipment and staff are the key to a stable, accessible and sustainable health care system," the minister said.

Thanking Šimun for the visit, the director of the Health Center, Milan Marković, as announced, "pointed out the enormous support" that the relevant ministry provides to that health institution in terms of strengthening its infrastructure, as well as its overall capacities.

"The current management of the healthcare system fully monitors our work. On the other hand, we follow the development trends of our city. We are striving to create a different and more advanced healthcare model that would respond to all the contemporary needs of our local community, but also society as a whole," said Marković.

The Director of the Health Insurance Fund, Aleksandar Ružić, expressed his satisfaction that, as he said, today in Kolašin we are "witnessing the concrete results of our joint work."

"The adaptation of the laboratory is not just an infrastructural improvement, but a direct investment in raising the quality of healthcare for all citizens of this city. The Health Insurance Fund remains firmly committed to the position that funds must be directed where they are most needed – towards improving the quality of healthcare services. Our mission is clear: The Fund will always be a reliable partner and provide maximum support when it comes to raising treatment standards, not only at the primary level of healthcare, but also at the secondary and tertiary levels," said Ružić.

The institution's management also presented, as announced, "ambitious development plans" that include functional improvement of more than 550 square meters of space through the introduction of new medical facilities, including inpatient physical therapy, palliative care, and the field of sports medicine.

They also discussed improving the building's energy efficiency, through the planned installation of solar panels for the production of electricity for their own needs. It was stated that the conceptual design has already been developed in cooperation with the company "Solar Gradnja", and that the implementation will follow after the completion of the current works on the renovation and repair of the roof structure.

It was also highlighted that the Kolašin Health Center is included in a cross-border cooperation project with the Raška Health Center, through an application for funds from IPA funds, with the aim of further strengthening the availability of healthcare in rural areas. The project includes the procurement of mobile diagnostic equipment, including ultrasound and X-ray devices, ECG machines, as well as off-road vehicles, while improving communication capacities towards patients in remote areas.

The meeting also discussed the possibility of further developing radiological diagnostics at the institution, taking into account the existing professional capacities. "In this regard, an initiative has been launched to consider the procurement of a CT scanner, which, in accordance with the applicable legal framework, could significantly contribute to relieving the burden on the Clinical Center of Montenegro and general hospitals, with particular importance for the needs of the northern region and the further development of Kolašin as a tourist destination," the statement reads.

At the end of the meeting, it was jointly assessed that the further development of the Kolašin Health Center represents an important segment of the broader process of strengthening the health system, especially in the context of balanced regional development.

"The interlocutors agreed that through carefully planned investments and continuous improvement of organizational and professional capacities, conditions will be created for a sustainable and modern health care model, in which the needs of citizens remain at the center of all future activities," the Ministry of Health announced.