Health care system of the Republic of Serbia in the period 2004-2012

Abstract

Introduction. The backbone of Serbian health system forms the public healthcare provider network with 355 institutions and around 112,000 employees, owned and controlled by the Ministry of Health and financed mainly by the Republican Health Insurance Fund. The law recognizes private practice that was not included, till recently, in the public funding scheme. New Health Insurance Law (2005) decreased the number of entitlements in the basic health service package. It abolished the right to dental health care for adults (exceptions are: children, older than 65, pregnant women and emergency cases) as well as the right to compensate travel expenses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of health care system of the Republic of Serbia and indicate parameters that determine the state of health of the population, on the ground of data obtained by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia. Results. In the period 2004-2012, cardiovascular diseases represented the main cause of illness in Serbia (50%). In 2012 digestive system diseases were on the second place. Neoplasm and nervous system diseases were on the third place. From 2007 to 2012 there was slight decline in the birth rate and number of deaths, but the death rate increased from 13.9 to 14.2. Health care system in Serbia is funded through the combination of public finances and private contributions. Primary care is provided in 158 health care centres and health care stations, secondary and tertiary care services are offered in general hospitals, specialized hospitals, clinics, clinico-hospital centers and clinical centres. Conclusion. A significant but not satisfactory progress has been achieved in the field of health status indicators as the most important outcome of the final performance of the health system. The transition of public health care system in Serbia since the communist period to present and slow integration with European Union is unfinished process.

The first dental visit - comparative analysis of two successive five-years periods

“…Namely, in Serbia, the Ministry of Health is the owner of public health facilities and provides funding, monitoring, and control of public healthcare activities in public health institutes. On the other hand, the National Health Insurance Fund provides compulsory social insurance and ensures that insured persons may exercise their healthcare rights governed by the Law on Health Insurance [18]. One of the rights under compulsory health insurance is right to health care, which involves, among other things, examination and treatment of mouth and teeth diseases.…”

Health Spending Follows Pace of Population Aging: Challenges Lying Ahead of the Largest Western Balkan Market

“…These surmounting challenges will need to be addressed within the framework of national strategies tailored to major public health issues. Strengthening of the family medicine capacities and investment into the cost-effective preventive and screening medical technologies are likely an appropriate long-term solution (19). Governmental legislative support to the proliferation of a rather weak private health sector would relieve public health facilities (20).…”

The role of managers in improving the health care system in Serbia

“…S ob zi rom na to da su tro ško vi obra zo va nja i za po šlja va nja vi so ki (ne sa mo u Sr bi ji, već i u dru gim ze mlja ma), pla ni ra nje zdrav stve nih ka dro va je sve vi še u cen tru na ci o nal nih i sub na ci o nal nih en ti te ta. Zdrav stve ni me nadž ment tre ba da una pre di po slo va nje zdrav stve nih usta no va, a ne do sta tak fi nan sij skih sred sta va u zdrav stve nom si ste mu Re pu bli ke Sr bi je na me će neo p hod nost una pre đe nja me nadž men ta u zdrav stvu u Sr bi ji [1,2]. Za raz li ku od tra di ci o nal nog upra vlja nja or ga ni za ci o nim si ste mi ma, za ko ji su bi li ka rak te ri stič ni ana li tič ki pri stup i in ter di sci pli nar no re ša va nje po slov nih pro ble ma, sa vre me ni me nadž ment zdrav stve ne usta no ve se od li ku je sin te tič kim pri stu pom i tran sdi sci pli nar nim re ša va njem po slov nih pro ble ma.…”

“…Given that the costs of education and employment are high, not only in Serbia, but also in other countries, planning of health personnel is very important. Health management needs to improve production of health institutions, and the lack of financial resources in the health system of the Republic of Serbia imposes the necessity for improving hospital management [1,2].…”