UKC Tuzla faces protests over shortage of pediatric specialists

Parents of children with developmental difficulties and rare diseases are staging ongoing protests in front of the University Clinical Center (UKC) in Tuzla. The demonstrators are demanding an urgent resolution to the chronic shortage of medical specialists, specifically neuropediatricians, endocrinologists, hematologists, and cardiologists.

Protesters, supported by the association ‘Imam pravo’, emphasize that they are fighting for systemic healthcare improvements rather than individual cases. They are calling for greater transparency, faster responses from authorities, and better investment in medical equipment and medicines.

In response, UKC Tuzla management stated that the staffing and organizational challenges are long-standing and cannot be resolved overnight. The center announced it has completed the procedure for an internal competition for a neuropediatrician and has posted an advertisement to hire five pediatricians to strengthen capacity. The management also noted that patients requiring specific therapies not available at the center can be referred to other institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina or abroad.