Healthcare staffing shortages and financial crises impact regional hospitals

Hospitals in the Balkans are facing critical shortages of medical specialists and significant financial strain. In Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Cantonal Hospital is struggling with a lack of specialists, including neurosurgeons, and a debt of approximately two million marks. Hospital director Amel Kardašević noted that medical staff are migrating to Sarajevo in search of better working conditions and higher pay. To mitigate the crisis, the hospital is seeking cooperation with the Clinical Center in Sarajevo to provide visiting specialists for patient examinations.

In Croatia, medical professionals are warning of a decline in interest regarding emergency medicine specializations. The Croatian Association of Hospital Physicians (HUBOL) has proposed reforms to address staff shortages and high workloads. Proposed measures include reducing the work week from 40 to 32 hours, increasing salaries, and offering enhanced pension benefits for emergency staff. Health Minister Irena Hrstić acknowledged the need for reorganization, noting that the current system requires reform to attract new doctors to emergency services.