BPK Goražde deficit of doctors to be reduced by supporting specializations

SARAJevo, (Patria) - Agreements on the use and dedicated spending of funds for co-financing medical doctor specializations were signed today with the management of the Public Health Institution "Cantonal Hospital" Goražde, Public Health Institution "Isak Samokovlija" Health Center in Goražde, and the "Ustikolina" Health Center by the Prime Minister of Bosansko-podrinjski Canton Goražde, Aida Obuća, and the Minister of Social Policy, Health, Displaced Persons, and Refugees, Eniz Halilović.

For these purposes, financial resources in the amount of 80,000 KM were allocated from the BPK Goražde budget for 2021, and a total of nine medical doctor specializations will be co-financed. An amount of 59,000 KM was approved for the Public Health Institution "Cantonal Hospital" Goražde, for co-financing specializations in the fields of anesthesiology with resuscitation, pediatrics with neonatology, neurology, urology, gynecology and obstetrics, and clinical radiology. For the first time, co-financing of specializations in health centers in the BPK Goražde area has also been supported. The Public Health Institution "Isak Samokovlija" Health Center Goražde was approved an amount of 14,000 KM for co-financing specialization costs in the fields of pediatrics, pneumophthisiology, and family medicine, while 7,000 KM was approved for the Public Health Institution "Ustikolina" Health Center for the costs of one medical doctor specialization in the field of family medicine.

According to the Prime Minister of BPK Goražde, Aida Obuća, the intention of the Government of BPK Goražde, since 2019, has been to strengthen the capacities of public health institutions in our canton so that the citizens of BPK Goražde have better and higher quality healthcare.

"In the previous period, the Government of BPK Goražde allocated significant financial resources for the procurement of urgently needed medical equipment, and in the past budget year, the largest amount to date was allocated for the professional development of medical doctors, i.e., for co-financing necessary specializations. Given that we recognized the importance of strengthening human resources, we have allocated financial resources in the amount of 100,000 KM for these purposes in the budget for 2022, in order to address the shortage of specialist doctors faced by health institutions in our canton. Public health institutions will sign agreements on mutual rights and obligations with the residents in specialization, and we hope that we will not have cases where residents in specialization do not return to the institution that financed their specialization," said the Prime Minister of BPK Goražde, Aida Obuća, after signing the agreements.

On this occasion, it was suggested that, in accordance with the positive legal regulations governing this area, priority should be given to professional development opportunities for young people from Goražde, as according to the data, many young people from the BPK Goražde area have graduated from medical school and returned to work in health institutions in the BPK Goražde area.

In addition to the fact that funds for these purposes are planned in the budget for 2022, as stated by the relevant minister Eniz Halilović on this occasion, new public calls from health institutions are expected in the coming period for the needs of professional development of medical doctors, considering the shortage of specialist doctors.

The management of the health institutions also expressed words of gratitude to the Government and the relevant ministry on this occasion, emphasizing the importance of support, especially for health centers, given that they received support for the first time and will not bear the costs alone.

"This is the first time that we are not bearing the costs of specializations entirely on our own, but this time we have the support of the Government of BPK Goražde for a portion of the specialization costs for 2021. The amount of 14,000 KM, allocated for the costs for 2021, is significant support, and the funds will be used for the costs of three medical doctors in specialization," said the director of the Public Health Institution "Isak Samokovlija" Health Center Goražde, Edin Čengić, about the importance of the support.

The director of the Public Health Institution "Ustikolina" Health Center, Alija Begović, also stated that the support is very important.

"This is the first time since the founding of the 'Ustikolina' Health Center in the Foča municipality in FBiH, that is, immediately after reintegration, that we have one doctor in specialization. It is a specialization in family medicine because that is what is most needed, and at the same time, it is an excellent opportunity to have a doctor who will be there longer and who will follow families and be what family medicine represents. I want to thank, first of all, the Prime Minister and the relevant minister who supported us and understood, and I am glad that it is felt that health policy is being conducted, not just healthcare, and it is also evident that the Government and the relevant ministry have been actively involved in creating the health system in the BPK Goražde area in the last few years," said Director Begović.