eSick Leave will be introduced in March
The availability of innovative therapies and clinical trials, the integration of the private and public healthcare systems, and the continuation of healthcare digitalization through the introduction of new services to facilitate the treatment process for all citizens are the three key priorities of NALED's Health Alliance.
The President of the Alliance and partner at Heliant, Vukašin Radulović, stated at the session of this working body that there are high expectations from digitalization, especially since all decision-makers agree that this is an area that needs further work.
First and foremost, we prioritize the completion of the eReferral and eSick Leave systems, as well as the improvement of ePrescription and eHealth Records. NALED has proven to be a strong cohesive force for implementing projects, and the synergy we have calls for responsibility to apply these proposals in practice in the coming period – Radulović emphasized.
Katarina Pavičić, an advisor in the Prime Minister's Cabinet, confirmed that digitalizing healthcare is one of the main priorities of this government to provide more efficient services to all citizens and ease the work of doctors.
The implementation of eSick Leave, expected in March next year, and eHealth Records should serve as a platform for further development. We expect that digitalization will save significant funds in the budget, which we can redirect towards further improving the healthcare system – Pavičić said.
In the coming period, NALED members will also advocate for further integration of private and public healthcare, as examples in in vitro fertilization, cataract surgeries, and ophthalmology exams have shown that the capacities of private systems are ready for this step.
Additionally, the trend of therapy availability in recent years is encouraging, but it remains low compared to European Union countries. Therefore, it is necessary to accelerate the issuance of permits for clinical trials, which offer patients the most modern therapies even before they become available on the market.
Ivana Stašević Karličić, the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, emphasized that efforts are being made to improve regulations in the area of clinical trials and adopt a new regulation.
We expect its imminent publication and look forward to seeing the concrete results and benefits this regulation will bring. This represents an important step toward a more equitable and efficient healthcare system that allows both the public and private sectors to contribute to the development of innovations and improve services for citizens – Stašević Karličić concluded.
Marija Malešević from ALIMS mentioned that this agency has digitalized almost all processes and is working to complete the entire process by next year. They are also hopeful for a new Medicines Act, which would contribute to improving all healthcare operations.
During the previous term, the Alliance's work was marked by active participation in preparing the new Law on Health Documentation and Records, which forms the basis for introducing eHealth Records as a unified electronic health card.
New Presidency of the Health Alliance
Members of the Alliance elected new leadership. For the next two years, the working body will be chaired by Vukašin Radulović, co-founder of Heliant, while the vice presidents are Marijana Vasilescu, General Director of MediGroup, Danilo Mijušković, Manager for Medicine Accessibility and Public Affairs at Merc, and Milena Argirović, Director of the pharmaceutical company Takeda.
