KS Health Minister Amela Sofić: Specializations Are Not in Question

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - KS Health Minister Amela Sofić reacted to today's statement by KO SDA Sarajevo that, by all indications, current specialization tenders will have to be suspended, and all future tenders postponed indefinitely.

- There has been an obvious mistake in conveying the factual situation. Specialization and sub-specialization is an organized form of acquiring theoretical and practical professional knowledge and scientific knowledge according to a prescribed program. In other words, it is about education, i.e., specialist training of healthcare workers who have at least one year of professional experience after passing the professional exam, and not about indefinite employment, and as such, this category will not be called into question - the minister explained.

The minister explained that the field of specialization and sub-specialization is legally regulated by the Law on Health Protection ("Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH", numbers 46/10 and 75/13) and the Rulebook on Specializations and Sub-specializations of Doctors of Medicine, Doctors of Dentistry, Masters of Pharmacy and Engineers of Medical Biochemistry ("Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH, number 62/15).

- According to the aforementioned regulations, the approval for specialization or sub-specialization is given by the federal minister based on the annual plan of necessary specializations and sub-specializations, which is adopted upon the proposal of cantonal ministries of health, submitted together with the opinion of the competent cantonal Public Health Institute and Health Insurance Fund.

Minister Sofić emphasized that she can guarantee that the health of citizens is the top priority when implementing all healthcare policies.

- The main goal of our future work is to increase the safety and quality of healthcare provision. This will not be jeopardized by any irrational austerity and control measures that would lead to a shortage of medical professionals and thus harm the citizens, for whom the healthcare system exists. However, it is very important to emphasize that we want to make the healthcare employment system transparent, efficient, and lawful, and that we are clearly committed to implementing all measures and activities that will bring healthcare in the Sarajevo Canton to a higher level. We want to provide a fair opportunity to young and professional people, with a high degree of moral integrity and work ethic, who are eager to work and fully dedicated to patients and the medical profession. Due to the existence of such a system, they have not been able to find employment that they truly deserve, and have been forced to leave BiH in large numbers, seeking professional engagement in other countries. This has caused enormous damage both to them and to the users of healthcare, who, if this policy continues, would be left without competent people to treat them - concluded Minister Sofić.