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.
Covid-19 Fault Lines: Palestinian Physicians in Israel
