ŠERANIĆ: HOSPITAL IN TREBINJE IS OF REGIONAL IMPORTANCE

BANJA LUKA, APRIL 26 /SRNA/ - The Republika Srpska Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Alen Šeranić, said he expects the construction project for the hospital in Trebinje to be completed by the end of October, after which the necessary paperwork will be finalized so that services can begin next year.

"The hospital in Trebinje is of regional importance. Trebinje is becoming attractive to many, and the city needs such a facility," Šeranić said on SRNA’s podcast. He emphasized that the goal is to position the hospital in Trebinje as the best in the region, noting that significant efforts have also been made regarding staffing, including support from experienced colleagues from Serbia who could contribute to its operations. "When it comes to the project of reconstruction and expansion of the hospital in Prijedor, we are expecting a conceptual design, based on which the main project will be prepared. Such projects are much more demanding because you have to ensure the continued provision of healthcare services in a facility that is being reconstructed, unlike when building a completely new institution," Šeranić pointed out. He said that the management of the Prijedor hospital is preparing a work plan for that process and called on citizens to show understanding when the time comes. The minister also emphasized that it is very important to complete the construction project for the Oncology Center at the University Clinical Center /UCC/ of Republika Srpska, as this facility is of republic-level importance. "In both therapeutic and diagnostic terms, people who unfortunately suffer from malignant diseases most often come to Banja Luka. The Oncology Clinic has already taken on the role of coordinating all other hospitals, both through oncology consultations and by referring patients for various types of therapeutic procedures and diagnostic examinations. With this new facility, its importance will grow even more, because it is crucial for patients to receive all necessary services in one place," Šeranić emphasized. He added that the project of relocating the Psychiatry Clinic to the UCC site has been halted and that the construction of the Medical Complex, which is in the implementation phase, still remains to be completed. "The reconstruction of the Gynecology Clinic and the Infectious Diseases Clinic, for which a feasibility study is being finalized, is yet to be done," said Šeranić. Reflecting on the period of the coronavirus pandemic, Šeranić emphasized that it was a very stressful time, putting society to the test as it had to function in a new normal, but that it was successfully overcome. Šeranić emphasized that it was challenging, especially since people were dying, and that they had to focus on both prevention and organizing the healthcare services, which required continuous effort. "People were still falling ill from other diseases and suffering from other conditions, and you had to address that as well. But the system was 80% focused on how to respond to the illnesses related to COVID," Šeranić pointed out. He said that we now experience this virus like the flu or a cold, that there is no longer a demand for the COVID vaccine, but that certain measures, which have always been completely normal, such as handwashing, maintaining hygiene, and the like, should still be followed. Šeranić said that the epidemic is behind us, but that it is not unusual for something new to occur, as throughout history, we have had similar situations with circulating viruses.