All citizens will have a family doctor. It will be a team made up of four medical doctors – two general practitioners, a paediatrician, and a dentist, announced Professor Danica Grujičić in her first interview with Kurir since taking up the ministerial post.
In a conversation with our media outlet, which took place during the "Open World" summit on Mount Zlatibor, Dr Grujičić talked about the Ministry of Health's future plans, which include the reform of primary health care and palliative care.
"I will make an effort to ensure that we all have a family doctor. The family doctor is an entire project, which must be implemented gradually. It would be a team made up of four medical doctors – two general practitioners, a paediatrician, and a dentist, with the special emphasis on the dentist. These doctors would cover a single district.
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"Legal changes must be demanded. It is a process, and if it becomes a reality, I expect it to take place in about 10 to 15 years. A responsible health care system means a robust primary health care. Nowadays, doctors don't have time to see everyone, and that has to change. Being responsible towards patients is very important!"
You are also an advocate for making the palliative care system more robust?
"Covid hospitals are a great way to deal with palliative care because Covid is on the wane. The Batajnica, Kruševac, and Novi Sad Covid hospitals must be used for taking care of the patients and treating them there. We must utilize these empty beds and hospitals."
You have brought up the topic of doctors working in both public and private health care, which is a source of corruption. How can that be solved?
"I have always been against that, but it cannot be achieved overnight. I need to look into the legal aspects of it all – whether you can do additional work at your medical institution, which is something that should be allowed. Under the law, you can choose your family doctor, but you cannot decide who will perform a surgery on you at a state medical institution. If you want a specific person to perform the surgery, then you must pay for that, and there are people who are willing to do it, but why should they pay a private hospital if they can do so at a state-owned one?"
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Will there be continuity between the term in office of the former Minister Lončar and your term in office as Minister of Health?
"There will be continuity. I think Minister Lončar did an excellent job because I know what condition the health care system was in eight years ago. I am someone who supported the Progressive Party in the election campaign, and I did so precisely because of what the Government and the minister had done in the past eight years – I know what sort of equipment was available to me eight years ago, as opposed to what we have available now to treat people. The difference is huge. On the other hand, this is the first time that there is continuity. We should complete all the ongoing projects – The Medical Centre of Serbia, The Medical Centre of Vojvodina, and The Second Children's Clinic in Tiršova Street – as well as start the construction of the Oncology and Radiology Institute."
You will doubtless introduce some changes?
"There will probably be some personnel changes at the Ministry of Health. It makes sense that I bring in my own team and the chief of staff."
How do you solve the problem of surgery, EMR, and CT scanning waiting lists, because of which many people die?
"A great many EMR scans have been done recently; it isn't enough, but there are priorities. The Oncology and Radiology Institute has three EMR scanners at the moment, so we have been making appointments for patients to be scanned using our equipment for over a year. The same goes for CT scanners; as for ultrasound scans, getting an appointment isn't a problem really."
Regarding the BCG vaccine mistake: 'The Prosecutor's Office will determine responsibility'
How is it possible that someone administers saline to babies instead of BCG vaccines?
"That is a bad mistake which shouldn't have been made, especially not at a state institution. Vaccines have two parts – the active one, which is in powder form, and the part used for dilution, which is saline water, in small vials. These vials are put together, the vaccine is diluted, and then administered. The vaccines made by The Torlak Institute come packaged in a single box.
"Torlak has imported Bulgarian vaccines, which have passed all the checks and are administered around the world, but they come in two boxes, one containing the active substance, and the other the vaccines. Torlak has issued instructions for how to use them. The person administering the vaccines didn't consult the instructions, so it is a human error.
"I cannot say how it is possible that no one else had noticed it for one month. The Prosecutor's Office will announce that, as well as those who were responsible for the entire procedure. Luckily, the children received nothing harmful. A telephone number has been put up on The Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic Narodni Front website, so parents can call and set up a time to come in. I will report to the general public every Thursday on how many children have been vaccinated, whether there have been any problems, and any and all developments."
What do you intend to do regarding the brain drain of medical doctors?
"That depends not only on me, but also on the Government. I think that the Government has continually been showing understanding for health care workers, and our salaries keep rising. Perhaps not at a rate that we would like, but we must be aware of where we live."
Kurir.rs/Dobrica Bajić
