[Euronews] A list is being formed to relieve health institutions with the longest waiting list

Patients who have been waiting the longest for an artificial hip or knee will be able to do these interventions in a health institution in Serbia where the waiting lists are the shortest. The goal, as they say in the Republic Health Insurance Fund, is to free up the health facilities where the longest waiting time is, and for patients to solve their problems in the shortest possible time.

- The possibility of redirecting patients to health institutions where waiting lists are shorter and where patients can receive this service faster is certainly a positive possibility for patients. NALED welcomes the efforts of the Ministry of Health, knowing how long this problem has existed in our country - begins specialist for regulatory reform at NALED Isidora Šmigić.

The formation of a unified, unitary list to relieve the burden on health institutions with the longest wait for certain interventions, i.e. orthopedic operations, was announced. Until now, waiting lists were managed individually, at the level of health institutions.

- Similar records were made a few years ago for cardiac surgery. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase in the number of patients who are on already long waiting lists, primarily in hospitals that were in the COVID system. At that time, resources were diverted to the fight against the pandemic, such as the Banjica Institute - explains Šmigić.

OECD statistics show that 40% fewer hip surgeries were performed in 2020 than in 2019. This percentage is even higher when we talk about knee surgery, 50% fewer surgeries were performed in the pandemic year.

- Patients should be transferred to clinical centers in the region where they live. For example, patients from southern Serbia would be redirected to the Niš Clinical Center, from central Serbia to Kragujevac, and from western Serbia to Užice. This would contribute to more adequate use of health budgets - says Šmigić.

You can watch the recording of the entire show at the link.