New Financing Methods Necessary for Sustainable Healthcare That Serves the Patient

(Patria) - In Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is necessary to establish a transparent and predictable patient pathway and accelerate access to medicines, introduce new and more efficient models of healthcare financing, the process of digitalization, and amendments to legislation on the health sector.

These are the conclusions of the conference "Healthcare as an Investment," held today in Sarajevo, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bosnia and Herzegovina (AmCham), the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UIPL), and IQVIA, with the support of Medtronic, Berg, Oracle, and E-medit.

The conference brought together eminent domestic and international experts in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, economics, insurance, and the IT sector, as well as decision-makers from various levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dubravka Bošnjak emphasized the importance of partnerships between governments, health institutions, the private sector, and civil society in achieving goals in the healthcare sector.

- The healthcare system is one of the most complex systems in all countries. If we add the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina has 13 health insurance funds and 14 ministries of health, it is clear that the challenges for Bosnia and Herzegovina are even greater.

Here I am referring to the lack of resources, the problem of financing, an insufficient number of medical staff, as well as infrastructure problems.

The recent global challenge, the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the vulnerability of the healthcare system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the need to strengthen it in order to effectively respond to all future potential health pressures - said Bošnjak.

She added that, in addition to increasing investments in healthcare, reforms are also needed that will improve management and ensure efficient use of resources.

Representatives of the U.S. Embassy and the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, in their presentations, emphasized the need for healthcare reform and expressed support for the activities of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina in promoting cooperation in this area.

- Healthcare really must be an investment. The innovative industry aims to make the highest quality and best innovative medicines, which EU citizens have, available to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as possible.

With the conclusions of this conference, which are jointly sent by experts from the public and private sectors, we want to raise awareness of the benefits that investing in healthcare brings to the patient and offer a kind of roadmap to decision-makers for progress in this area - said Ana Petrović, President of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.

Delegate of the House of Peoples of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Belma Kapo stated that the goal of decision-makers is to adopt quality laws on healthcare and health insurance and to prevent patients from seeking their rights on the streets.

- This requires a team approach from all of us in the healthcare field, from every segment, in order to bring the best solution that would be optimal and implementable and that would result in the protection of people's health and the treatment of diseases - Kapo said.

Nedim Hamzić, Secretary General of AmCham in Bosnia and Herzegovina, addressed the advantages of digitalizing the healthcare system for the benefit of the patient, emphasizing that Bosnia and Herzegovina is in a position to initiate and successfully complete this process.

- We need the application of new technologies in healthcare, the development of a strategy for the digitalization of healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as additional education for healthcare workers and patients.

Digitalization is one of the modern tools that should be used for the benefit of the patient because it provides the possibility of a quick and adequate response of the healthcare system to the problem the patient is facing and significantly shortens the patient's pathway - concluded Hamzić.