NES Sarajevo Canton supports healthcare workers' demands

(Patria) - Healthcare workers of Sarajevo Canton have been protesting in front of the Sarajevo Canton Government for several days, presenting their demands. They sought salary increases, equipment procurement, and the hiring of a certain number of staff.

NES Sarajevo Canton has also expressed its support.

"Knowing, as we all do, the state of the healthcare system in Sarajevo Canton, we have no choice but to fully stand with the healthcare workers and support their demands," they stated in a press release.

NES added that it is very interesting that the demands related to equipment procurement have been almost unnoticeably dropped.

"Not only have they been dropped, but no government member has even registered this problem, nor have citizens been informed that this demand was seriously discussed at all. Therefore, we want to very clearly support all the demands of the healthcare workers.

The authorities must ensure quality healthcare services. This is not possible if healthcare institutions lack adequate equipment. How is it possible to wait thirty days for a 'simple' ultrasound? Not to mention other waiting lists. What is going on here?

Is it due to a lack of equipment or low salaries for healthcare workers? Does the current, former, and even the minister of health before the former know exactly what equipment is missing in which healthcare institution and how much it costs? Has the Canton Government and Assembly been informed about this? Probably not.

And the main discussion is about how much money is in the Health Insurance Fund's account. Is it 120 million or 180 million as the union claims, and by what percentage can salaries for healthcare workers be increased? The government has not even registered these latter demands.

How is it possible that there is a chronic shortage of equipment, while such funds remain unused in the Fund's account? Is the healthcare system being systematically destroyed? Judging by everything that is happening and what we are witnessing, the answer is yes.

If we add to this the fact that the largest healthcare institution in our country (UKCS) has been without a director for a year, then there should be no doubt that the healthcare system is being killed. And when you kill the healthcare system, you kill every potential patient. The Federal Government is also silent on this.

Institutions, establishments, and companies cannot be managed by acting directors for more than three months. Only in exceptional cases can such a situation be extended for another three months. If the Federal Government has a problem with the Minister of Health that it cannot resolve, then we as a society are in big trouble.

Then ministers are free agents who can do whatever they want and however they want.
Therefore, we demand from the Sarajevo Canton Government to fully meet the demands of the healthcare workers, which are: salary increases, equipment procurement, and ensuring higher quality healthcare services. The Federal Government, besides not being able or willing to appoint a director for UKCS, also has problems ensuring justified and minimal demands for pensioners. It is completely shameful that the lowest pension for about 250,000 pensioners is 570 KM.

Therefore, we will advocate for amendments to the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance, which will increase the lowest pension by 20 percent, and all pension increases will be harmonized with the increase in the average salary in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina," stated NES KS.