SRCE party proposes unified healthcare system, better pay for medical professionals in Serbia

Dragan Delić, a member of the Srbija centar (SRCE) party and a retired medical professor, has called for a fundamental restructuring of Serbia's healthcare system. He argues that the current model, which operates with three distinct and parallel systems – public, private, and military – is inefficient and inequitable.

Delić proposes consolidating these systems into a single, unified entity that functions cohesively from an operational, doctrinal, and economic standpoint. A key aspect of his proposal is to eliminate the dual practice of healthcare professionals working in both public and private sectors. He believes this would require significantly improving compensation for doctors and nurses within the public system to retain talent and ensure quality care.

He pointed to stark financial discrepancies, noting that a specialist's consultation fee can range from 800 dinars in the public sector to 6,000-10,000 dinars in private practice. Furthermore, Delić highlighted that a neurosurgeon's monthly salary of approximately 1,500 euros is comparable to that of a gendarmerie officer with secondary education, a situation he deems unacceptable given the extensive training and demanding nature of medical professions.

Under Delić's proposed unified system, insured individuals would have the freedom to choose their healthcare provider, whether public or private, using their insurance. This, he believes, would help reduce the extensive waiting lists currently plaguing the public healthcare sector. He also stressed that once adequately compensated, medical professionals would need to commit to working exclusively in either the public or private sphere, preventing the perceived transfer of patients from public to private facilities.