Discord among doctors caused by powerful figures wanting to control a budget of 360 million KM

At the session of the Assembly of the Medical Chamber of Sarajevo Canton, held two days ago, Dr. Dragan Stevanović resigned from the position of President of the Management Board. The session was stormy.

Chamber member Dr. Dragan Đokanović, a respected Sarajevo pediatrician-neonatologist, says in a conversation with Patria that the situation is very clear.

- The Assembly of the Medical Chamber of Sarajevo Canton has polarized into legalist doctors, who regularly pay membership fees and respect the Chamber's Statute, and into those other doctors who, at the mere signal of some powerful figures, stopped paying membership fees, started devastating the Chamber, and tried to take over its management at the Assembly through non-statutory behavior.

I am very glad that they did not have a quorum for their dishonorable deeds, but I am also saddened that the majority of delegates, who could have ensured a quorum, did not consolidate at this session and adopt the annual financial report and eliminate some inconsistencies in the Chamber's legal acts, says Dr. Đokanović.

He points out that Dr. Stevanović's act of submitting his resignation has disappointed him immensely.

- He practically stabbed Primarius Fahrudin Kulenović in the back and sided with those who want to turn the Chamber into an institution without dignity, and the future president into an ordinary subordinate. Perhaps he even offered himself as a puppet by announcing his candidacy for president. People change overnight.

Even the respect he gained around the fight for the preservation of the General Hospital is now in question after this act, especially when it is known that the first person who did not want to leave the General Hospital was neuropsychiatrist Dr. Momir Šmitran, and Dr. Stevanović did not want to affirm this, but benevolently allowed the undeserved credit to go to him, is the opinion of Dr. Đokanović.

He further points out that the Work Report was not adopted not because the work of the Chamber's leadership in the previous period was not good, and not because the work report of the entire Chamber for that period was not good.

- The Work Report was not adopted because a clique decided to take over the Chamber and is ruthlessly pursuing that path. I am very concerned by the fact that we live in a time when there are groups whose motto is 'the end justifies the means,' states Dr. Đokanović.

He emphasizes that he has not considered a potential candidacy for the position of Chamber President, but that he wants to help the Chamber become an institution where doctors enter with dignity and feel even more dignified.

- Divide and conquer! – is another old motto on today's public scene. This means that discord among doctors was caused by powerful figures who have their secret plans on what to do with the Clinical Center, the Faculty of Medicine, and, primarily, with the Health Fund. It is very clear to them that it will take a lot of water under the bridge before the insured gain control of the funds they personally contribute for their insurance, and 360 million KM (the annual budget of the Sarajevo Canton Health Fund) is a considerable sum, and they want to keep it under their control for as long as possible.

It is precisely these powerful figures, in order to prevent the insured from sovereignly managing their own funds, who are trying to devastate the Medical Chamber – the only institution that has the professional potential to solve current and very accumulated health problems; an institution that can help push (entrenched) parasites away from the Health Fund, and help bring closer to the Health Fund, and thus to all health institutions, all those who care about their health and set aside money so that, one day, they have something to treat themselves with, explains Dr. Đokanović.

How to resolve the newly created situation in the Chamber

- The democratic path is the only true path. The attacks on the Chamber, by those who do not pay membership fees, must be made known to other doctors who regularly meet their obligations, and they should be invited to offer suggestions. This is a wonderful opportunity to place the Chamber on true democratic foundations, built by independent doctors, and for them to take care of the Chamber forever – independent doctors of medicine – who will respect the statute of their chamber and who, in the times ahead, will, in large part thanks to the Chamber, preserve their own dignity.

It would be terrible for the Chamber to be run by people like Dr. Enra Suljić and her patron, is the opinion of Dr. Đokanović.