Stevanović: We are far from merging hospitals, several administrative workers left for Izetbegović

In the building of the Government of the Sarajevo Canton, a meeting on the reform of the healthcare system in the Sarajevo Canton was held with a special focus on the reform of hospital care, attended by the Minister of Health of the Sarajevo Canton, Zilha Ademaj, along with leaders of the medical chambers of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sarajevo Canton, the University Clinical Center Sarajevo, the Public Institution General Hospital "Prim.dr. Abdulah Nakaš", the Institute for Public Health of the FBiH and the Sarajevo Canton, and the Health Insurance Institute of the Sarajevo Canton, to discuss the topic of healthcare system reform in the Sarajevo Canton, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

Dragan Stevanović from the Medical Chamber of the Sarajevo Canton stated that the Medical Chamber unanimously concluded that a comprehensive reform of the entire healthcare system is necessary, writes Radiosarajevo.ba.

- So far, the working group has only completed a situation analysis, and everything else cannot be considered without the involvement of all system institutions, primarily the Institute for Public Health of the Sarajevo Canton. All further steps can only be decided by the founders. Hospitals will be merged or not only after the complete procedure is carried out - said Stevanović, adding that it is first necessary to prepare a study and an assessment of justification.

When asked by journalists whether doctors are in favor of merging hospitals, Stevanović said:

- There is as much money as there is, it is true that the healthcare system has been spending money. We must ensure that with the existing funds we provide quality healthcare. This will primarily be ensured through reasonable and rational moves. My position is that integration will not happen in this way. We are currently much further from merging hospitals than we were a month ago - because we have returned things to the beginning - says Stevanović.

He also emphasized that there are currently many steps that can be taken towards rationalization without resorting to merging.

- Rationalization of hospital capacities can also be achieved in other ways. I think, based on today's meeting, that the situation is calm; currently, all those employed at the General Hospital are still there, it continues to operate at the same capacity, and patients can still use it at full capacity - said Stevanović.

When asked how many employees have so far transferred to UKCS, Dragan Stevanović replied that, according to his knowledge, only a few administrative workers have transferred, and those who came to the hospital with the new director.

According to estimates, it will take 5-6 months to prepare the study, after which a professional discussion will follow.