January 31, 2019 - Dr Ivan Ilic, the director of the General Hospital of Kotor, spoke with Radio Kotor about the need to build a new, modern facility in Boka Bay, which would bring together health services now obtained in three hospitals in the territory of the Kotor Municipality. Dr Ilic recently pointed out that this idea was seriously taken into account by the authorities and that the realisation of the mentioned investments is not impossible, reports Radio Kotor.
"I have indirect information that this idea has come to the Prime Minister of Montenegro, who has given certain instructions to the ministries. I cannot say anything precisely, but I find it useful to talk about it. Some models would enable the relatively fast implementation of this idea. Some of them are a development loan or an IPA project. There are also loans from the World Development Bank," said Dr Ivan Ilic.
The emergence of a new hospital is, according to him, the only real way to improve the health service in Boka Bay.
"The new hospital would bring together all the medical centers in the region. I mean the General Hospital in Kotor, the Special Hospital for Orthopedics, Neurosurgery and Neurology Vaso Cukovic in Risan and the Special Psychiatric Hospital in Dobrota. Their unification is the only way to provide quality care," says Dr Ilic.
Considering the demographic growth of the surrounding cities, the development of a new hospital would be the best in the Industrial Zone in Radanovici or its surroundings. "By making this move, the hospital will be several kilometres closer to Budva and Tivat, and the problem with Herceg Novi will be solved by ferry, fast ship transport or helicopter transportation. It would be a hospital that would work twenty-four hours in full capacity. It means that there are always surgeons, anesthesiologists, neurologists, and internal medicine specialists available. That would be a real hospital for the acute care of patients. I think it would be useful to combine equipment and staff in one place," says Dr Ilić.
He also believes that responsible institutions should consider the necessity of providing conditions for the work of young doctors who will soon complete their specialisation.
"If the labour market is soon liberalised towards the West, I think that a significant number of our young colleagues will leave our country. And then there is a problem, how will we replace the medical staff? Who will heal us for ten, twenty years? But if we are building a new and modern hospital infrastructure, while also solving part of the housing needs of employees, then it's one of the ways to keep young doctors stay and work here," says Dr Ilic.
The construction of a modern hospital is significant also because of tourism, declared a strategic economic branch in our country.
"Foreign guests and staff will certainly wonder what kind of health care they will have. Without the development of a strong healthcare structure, we can endanger the development of tourism activities planned in this area," says Dr Ilic.
The overall construction of a new hospital would, according to his estimates, cost about 40 million Euros.
"We have state and municipal land that can be freed from communal payments because such a project would be of great importance to the region. There are also spaces in which the present facilities of the mentioned three hospitals are located, which have a significant value. Also, we can redeem hospitals projects from the environment. I think 35 to 40 million Euros can make a top hospital," says Dr Ilic.
Source: Radio Kotor
