Montenegro

Study visit to Estonia as part of “Good Health System Governance in Montenegro”, a joint project of WHO and UNDP

Podgorica, 19 November 2010

Under the UN integrated programme ”Delivering as One” in Montenegro, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Montenegro and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)  in Montenegro organized a study visit to Estonia as part of a joint project “Good Health System Governance for Equitable, Effective and Quality Health Care in Montenegro”.

The purpose of the visit was to to explore health financing arrangements and hospital sector reforms in the broad health system context in Estonia, which recently implemented the reforms with success.   Between 23rd and 25th November 2010, the delegation of Montenegro, led by the Minister of Health Prof. Miodrag Radunovic, met the representatives of Estonian health sector authorities and got acquainted with their experience in the reform of secondary and tertiary health care levels. During the visit, the Minister of Montenegro had a bilateral meeting with Estonian Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur.

The delegation visited major health institutions such as Estonian Health Insurance Fund,
National Institute for Health Development, the North Estonia Medical Centre in Tallinn, and Tartu University Hospital. Some of the topics discussed during the visit included quality assurance and audits to improve quality of care, needs based planning and contracting providers, hospital management, licensing the providers and professionals, public-private partnership, norms and standards and their purpose,  rationalization and optimization of hospital network (private and public health institutions), palliative care, etc.

Montenegro delegation members stated that they felt this had been an extremely valuable learning experience. It is expected that the visit will considerably enhance the contribution to the development of Montenegro hospital sector.