Loncar and Varga discuss cooperation in healthcare

BELGRADE - Serbia's Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar met his Croatian counterpart in Zagreb on Wednesday to discuss cooperation in healthcare and various projects, like joint purchase of medications by healthcare institutions from the two countries.

The first formal meeting between the two ministers centred on exchange of experiences in healthcare reform, different types of health insurance and transplant programmes, where the Croatian healthcare system has achieved significant results, the Serbian Ministry of Health has stated.

The two officials agreed that joint purchases by institutions from both countries could help reduce costs and increase competitiveness on the market.

"We discuss the possibility of creating a joint system between Serbia, Croatia and Slobenia that would allow us to buy medications jointly, for example," Loncar noted, adding that it would allow for the acquisition of better medications at far lower prices.

He said he and Varga had agreed that working groups from the two ministries should start working on harmonising views related to areas of mutual interest.

The ministers agreed that existing cooperation related to organ transplant should be expanded by forming joint teams that would help get organised in that area, the statement says.

Varga remarked that the meeting with Loncar was a good basis for improving different forms of cooperation and to further develop the two coutries' healthcare systems.

Loncar and Varga attended a regional forum on diabetes in Zagreb, which was organised jointly by Croatia and Denmark and used to discuss prevention, treatment, economic effects and importance of early detection of diabetes.

Photo Tanjug, S. Radovanovic ...