Montenegro Hospital Privatisation Plan Angers Doctors

The Montenegrin Health Ministry has dismissed criticism by the Union of Medics, which claims that public healthcare in the country will be subjected to the whims of the free market after the government announced plans to ask private companies to manage healthcare institutions. 

"That is untrue and incorrect information about the health system in Montenegro," the ministry said on Tuesday in response to the union's claims.

The union had argued that Montenegro has the worst public healthcare in Europe and that was the only country in the world that intends to offer its healthcare system to the free market. 

"This means that people will have as much healthcare as they can afford to pay for," the Union of Medics said on Tuesday.

The union made its statement after the company a Malta-based Global Healthcare Vitals, VGH, announced its interest in obtaining a concession contract for managing several public health institutions in the coastal towns of Kotor, Budva and Herceg Novi.

The doctors also expressed anger after the Montenegrin authorities on Friday again delayed the adoption of a new law to increase the wages in the healthcare system. 

"Not adopting legislation that would increase the earnings of doctors... tells us that the Montenegrin health care system, unfortunately, is already finished," the union said.

The union also said that according to the latest Euro Consumer index, Montenegro has "the most backward health system in Europe" and allocates only five per cent of its budget to healthcare, while the European average is eight to 12 per cent. 

The Euro Consumer index ranks healthcare systems in Europe according to 48 indicators, including patients' rights, accessibility, prevention and outcomes. It put Montenegro...