Serbia at bottom of Euro Health Consumer Index

Serbia at bottom of Euro Health Consumer Index

BRUSSELS -- Serbia is at the bottom of the the Euro Health Consumer Index 2014, placing 33rd on a list of 37 states, the Beta news agency has reported.

Serbia was given 473 out of a maximum 1,000 points and, compared to 2013, went up one place.

The Netherlands tops the list with 898 out of 1,000 points, closely followed by Switzerland, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

Lead researcher Arne Bjornberg said in Brussels as the study was presented that the results "reflect a gloomy situation" in the Serbian health-care sector. "All outcome indicators for Serbia are still marked red, as they are for Romania," he explained.

Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar "thanked the health-care workers for having advanced one place up the EHCI ladder, expecting the result like this will be incentive for more quality in the sector," Beta reported.

Bjornberg said that "major features of Serbia's healthcare still included poorly informed patients, an unsatisfactory approach and unfavorable treatment results."

"Serbia should focus on improving basic functions, like reducing mortality rates in newborns and solving the 'Yugoslav heritage' of inequality, corruption, unsatisfactory approach and overemphasized hospitalization," Bjornberg said.