Director of the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RFZO) prof. Dr. Sanja Radojević Škodrić was the first to address the audience and pointed out that the biggest investment in healthcare is if the salaries of healthcare workers are not counted in medicines.
“This year, 105 billion dinars will be allocated for these purposes, which is five times more than five years ago.” Medicines for rare diseases are invested, let me remind you that the budget for rare diseases was formed in 2012 at the insistence of President Vučić, and at that time it amounted to 130 million dinars, while last year it was 7.2 billion, i.e. 55 times more than in 2012. This means that a much larger number of patients are treated, because approximately 300,000 euros are needed per year for one patient. So, in 2012, a total of eight patients were treated for rare diseases, and at the moment it is 713. Likewise, when it comes to rare diseases, only two were treated in 2012, while today we treat 39 different types of rare diseases. Of course, there are more diseases, there are more patients, but thanks to investment and continuity, we managed to put a large number of patients and rare diseases at the expense of the state. Revolutionary investment in innovative medicines, at the end of 2023 we brought the list of medicines with the highest investments of 6.2 billion, since 2017 there has been a continuity in putting innovative medicines on the list, which has never happened, and we can do this because of the huge financial support”. said Škodric.
Director of the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RFZO) prof. Dr. Sanja Radojević Škodrić – PHOTO: Jovan Nikolić
According to her, investments are made in all other health services, mostly in in vitro fertilization (IVF), where we are the best country in the world in terms of rights at the expense of the state. Last year we were equal with Israel, and then we took first place.
“Investment in infrastructure continues, 147 Clinical Centers and Hospitals have been built. What is a priority is prevention, and we started that by acquiring the largest diagnostic equipment at the initiative of President Vučić. Last year, 18 mammograms and 10 magnetic resonance scans were acquired, without this state-of-the-art equipment, early diagnosis and prevention are not possible. Prevention is the most expensive in healthcare, and thank God we have reached that level in healthcare. What we have to work on intensively is staff, it’s not that we lack it, but we have to work on their education, on the modernization of all protocols. We have fantastic final-year medical students and young doctors, and we will work to ensure that doctors do not retire without someone in their place, not just someone who is undergoing specialization, but a ready-made specialist with experience: It takes ten years to form a staff. At one time in 2012, specializations were prohibited and regardless of neglect, it is not easy to make up for all that,” said Škodric.
Another in a series of problems are the waiting lists, on which they worked a lot in the previous period.
“Instit Banjica has huge lists, which will soon be reduced from ten to three years by updating and increasing the operating rooms. Of course, we are not satisfied and we expect that period to be shortened, to be only a few months. Waiting lists for cataracts have been shortened as much as possible, and since a month ago, as soon as it is determined that you need an operation, you can immediately choose in which private clinic from the list of the RFZO you will have the operation at the expense of the state”, pointed out Škodrić.
Today’s conference is intended for health workers, associates and the population, and according to the director of the Institute for Public Health “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut” Verica Jovanović, the most important topic is the prevention of mass non-communicable diseases, which are the number one factor in the burden of the population’s health.
Director of the Institute for Public Health “Dr. Milan Jovanović Batut” Verica Jovanović – PHOTO: Jovan Nikolić
“As everywhere in the world, the disease structure includes mass non-communicable diseases, primarily cardiovascular diseases. Almost 60 percent of the population suffers from the aforementioned disease or has symptoms and signs that can be prevented with timely detection and which can completely stop certain chronic diseases. Apart from cardiovascular diseases, today we will also talk about malignant diseases and the importance and recommendations of vaccination. In our country, since 2022, we have introduced vaccination against the HPV virus and we are moving towards primary prevention of the disease. It is very important to share this kind of information, but also to share experiences and knowledge with the media and have support so that everyone can be convinced of the power of prevention,” said Jovanović and reminded that in the health care system there are opportunities to implement organized screening programs as well as preventive examinations.
The aim of the conference is to bring together leading experts from Serbia and the world from health and other fields who will exchange knowledge and experience on the importance of prevention, investments in health care, but also diseases that affect the largest number of people, such as are malignancies, diabetes, but also sterility, which plagues an increasing number of both women and men.
GZS
Tags: Conference health Zlatibor
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