Sežana health centre queues surge after gynecologist replacement

More than 1,000 women gathered early at the Sežana health centre in Slovenia on May 18 to register with a new gynecologist after the departure of Mojca Kermavnar. Four staff members were assigned exclusively to the registration desk, yet the sheer number of patients caused long lines well before the official opening time. Director Petra Butinar said the influx was driven by patients’ fear of losing access to a doctor, while mayor Andrej Sila criticised the organisation of the enrolment process as untenable.

The incident has highlighted broader issues in the Slovenian primary‑care system, including the inability to use electronic registration for such mass transfers. Health insurance agency representatives and officials are discussing new guidelines that could allow priority lists or automatic transfers when capacity is insufficient, but any changes would need legal alignment before implementation.