Health care system of Montenegro gives its maximum in fight against coronavirus and provision of all health services

The health system of Montenegro gives its maximum in the fight against coronavirus, but also provides health services that improve and protect the health of individuals, said Minister of Health Jelena Borovinić Bojović.

In a video message, as part of the "Potpisujem" (I sign) campaign by the Government of Montenegro on the occasion of 100 days of work, she noted that the Ministry of Health leads national response on several fronts.

Minister Borovinić Bojović pointed out that the procurement of vaccines and the vaccination against the novel coronavirus is one of the greatest logistical, but also public health challenges of modern times.

"In the first hundred days of the Government's work, we worked hard and were proactive. On 6 December, we started negotiations on vaccine supply through bilateral relations, through direct negotiations between the Government of Montenegro and the Government of Russia, the People's Republic of China, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer. Procurement of 50,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine, 201,200 doses of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine has been agreed, while intensive negotiations are underway for additional 200,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine," said Borovinić Bojović.

She also reminded that negotiations are underway with the company Pfizer on the procurement of 150 thousand doses of vaccine.

"We have fulfilled all obligations under the COVAX programme, through which we expect 84 thousand doses of Astra Zeneca. 42 thousand doses of vaccine arrived in Montenegro, and ten thousand of the agreed 50 thousand doses of Russian Sputnik V vaccine were delivered. 30 thousand doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm, which arrived in Montenegro, are a donation from the People's Republic of China," said Borovinić Bojović.

The Ministry of Health, in order to timely prepare, both administratively and organizationally, for the use of vaccines against COVID-19, has developed a National COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

"We have prepared the health system for the response to the process of immunization of the population and have successfully started the immunization of priority groups. About 3,500 citizens have been vaccinated so far - after members of priority groups were vaccinated, and the mass vaccination of people over the age of 80 has begun. In accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization, the latest guidelines for the teatment of COVID-19 patients are applied," said Borovinić Bojović.

She said that the management of the Ministry of Health is constantly on the first line of defence against the coronavirus, but that it also successfully solves less visible tasks, such as planning the health workforce, managing available resources, hospital beds with equipment, medicines.

"We will use digital solutions and affirm Digital Health in order to more efficiently plan and control health care. The Clinical Management platform is just one of the digital solutions that we worked on intensively in the first 100 days. From now on, we will have generated reports on the occupancy of hospital capacities in terms of the number of beds, ventilators, oxygen beds, but we will also manage human resources, monitor the number of medical and non-medical staff positive for COVID-19," said Borovinić Bojović.

She said that they worked on other solutions in the health department, including the national Call Center 1717 through which citizens can register for the Covid vaccine, as well as by filling in a questionnaire on the website www.covidodgovor.me.

"We have launched a Medical inventory platform for monitoring the stocks of medicines and equipment, which plans and anticipates needs and sets an alarm in case of deviations," said Borovinić Bojović.

In order to stop the collapse of the public health sector, the representatives of the health department prevented the directors of public health institutions from having an unlimited number of mandates by amending the Law on Health Care.

"We have strengthened and expanded cooperation with European and UN institutions, NATO, as well as diplomatic and consular missions, which resulted in assistance through numerous forms of cooperation and donations worth over EUR 1.5 million," said the Minister.

She said that her fundamental priority is the health of all citizens of Montenegro and a transparent health system focused on their needs.