Urgent action needed: The "Trojka" has condemned our severely ill citizens in Sarajevo to death!

For NAP writes: Muamer Bandić, member of the BiH Alliance for a Better Future Presidency and delegate in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly

The right to life is the fundamental right of every human being. The availability of medicines and treatment best shows the practical application of the principle of solidarity within a country and society. Judging by the situation of oncology patients in Sarajevo today, the right to life is merely a dead letter in our country, and the principle of solidarity, which holds society together, is reserved only for the chosen few close to the ruling circles. The same situation is repeating as with the recent increase in street crime; as long as the problem does not affect someone close to the ruling circles of the "Trojka", the authorities pretend to be dead and remain silent. If they do speak out, they shift the blame elsewhere and to someone else, forgetting that the "Trojka" holds power vertically thanks to the interventions of the OHR.

For days, 463 patients in Sarajevo Canton, who are on the waiting list of the Solidarity Fund for targeted therapy, as sufferers of the most severe diseases, have been fighting and begging for the medicines that mean their lives. In addition to them, hundreds of cancer patients in recent days have had no access to cytostatics or hormonal therapy, and thus essentially have no basic therapy for cancer treatment. Currently, oncology clinics in Sarajevo are lacking Taxol, Avomint, Goserelin, and several other medications, which are the basic therapy for our severely ill citizens. On a weekly basis, this therapy costs from 70 to 700 KM, all depending on the dosage, the patient's condition, and the missing medication. Due to the lack of a patient registry, the exact number of citizens buying medication these days is unknown, but according to unofficial data, it is several hundred of our citizens.

Due to the inefficiency of the healthcare system, for which citizens pay money to ensure their healthcare, patients suffering from this serious illness are forced to bear the costs of purchasing these medications themselves, which are enormously high, and they wait a very long time for reimbursement, with the Health Insurance Fund only refunding 50% of the costs. In addition to the aforementioned medications, patients must also purchase special food, supplements, and vitamins, and a large number of patients are on sick leave due to treatment for serious illnesses. All of this plunges families into severe financial hardship, and it all happens because the FBiH Health Insurance Fund is late with tenders for medication procurement. And of course, no one from the imposed government even thinks of holding them accountable.

It must also be mentioned that there are no waiting lists for any medications anywhere in the region, and it is superfluous to even talk about those currently in short supply at the KCUS. It is interesting that a similar crisis in the smaller BiH entity was resolved in a few days by the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska deciding to immediately reimburse funds to oncology patients, so that patients could purchase necessary medications from week to week.

The "Trojka" has brought our fellow citizens suffering from serious illnesses, who have been contributing to healthcare for decades, to the brink of poverty today. Practically all patients with serious illnesses, if they do not have the means to buy these expensive medications, are condemned to death. And it is very interesting that the inefficiency of the healthcare system mainly affects Sarajevo Canton and other cantons with a Bosniak majority. Perhaps removing the fence from the KCUS was a nice propaganda move, but the real move of a responsible government is to procure medications on time and ensure uninterrupted treatment for our citizens. The KS Government has so far proven to be a cheap Chinese product with expensive American marketing.

Therefore, I am making a human appeal to the Government of Sarajevo Canton to wake up from its winter slumber and self-promotion on social networks, and to urgently resolve this burning life issue for our ill fellow citizens with a set of urgent measures. Specifically:

- The KS Health Insurance Fund should urgently amend the Decision on Reimbursement, reducing the reimbursement period for oncology patients from 30 days to seven days, for services that are reimbursed within the regular competencies of the Fund.

- The KS Ministry of Health should URGENTLY amend the Rulebook on the refund of expensive medications in such a way that: 1. it refunds 100% (instead of the current 50%) of medications for oncology patients for which they are not entitled to coverage from the Solidarity Fund. 2. it provides, exceptionally, when there is a shortage of medications, that medications covered by the Solidarity Fund are also refunded by the KS Health Insurance Fund.

- The KCUS should urgently procure the missing medications for the residents of KS, and the funds for procurement should be transferred by the KS Health Insurance Fund.

- From the reserves available to the Prime Minister and the President of the KS Assembly, which they spend on their party cronies and party infrastructure, money should be allocated for severely ill citizens of Sarajevo, without any procedures or waiting, meaning that citizens should be paid immediately upon submitting a request with an invoice and medical report. (Alternatively: Emergency funds should be provided for one-time assistance in the amount of 2000 KM for each affected patient who provides proof/medical documentation).

For the sake of our citizens who are truly in a very difficult situation, I also call on the High Representative Christian Schmidt, who imposed this federal government with his decision, to intervene and oblige his pawns to fulfill their legal obligations and force them to put the healthcare system into operation for the citizens of Sarajevo Canton as soon as possible. It is unacceptable that the lives of our fellow citizens are endangered due to the negligence of the current government and the neglected healthcare system it manages. If you have handed over almost all institutions to Dodik and Čović, do not go so far as to hand over our lives to them today!