15 April 2019 - Prime Minister Duško Marković delivered keys to ten new flats to healthcare workers built by the Government of Montenegro, the Capital City of Podgorica and the Housing Cooperative of Health Workers of Montenegro "Healthcare".
"There are 27 flats here, and 63 flats were provided to health workers in Nikšić in late 2018. We have reason to be pleased to say that, apart from working on the quality of health services, we also make efforts to advance the living standards of those who provide healthcare services to our citizens. I want to congratulate the Housing Cooperative "Healthcare" on these activities. I got information about how many flats were assigned to workers across Montenegro. This is a truly impressive result, favourable prices of apartments with privileged conditions for their redemption," said the Prime Minister.
He added that in the past two years the Government has allocated to this housing cooperative unit more than 750.000 EUR to build flats for health workers and that it will continue with these activities. He added that the Capital City of Podgorica played an important role in this project worth about 3,5 million EUR, by investing more than 550.000 EUR.
"We see that besides serious problems that we have in society - low living standards of employees in healthcare and in education and in other sectors - the Government works intensively to improve their working conditions not only through procurement of equipment, but also by improving the conditions of work in health institutions in Montenegro, quality of life of employees in the health system. We will continue to work in such a way. I believe that the results of the Government's policy in terms of social growth, stabilisation of public finances, which should be finalised under the Stabilisation Finance Programmme at the end of this year, give the opportunity to talk about higher wages in health and education, and in other sectors. Therefore, I ask healthcare and education workers to understand the general social environment and the Government's efforts to improve this environment in order to enter the next, very important phase for healthcare and education employees in terms of increasing their wages. I believe that the end of this year and the beginning of 2020 is a good time for this new policy that will be promoted by the Government of Montenegro," Prime Minister Duško Marković highlighted.
Minister of Health Kenan Hrapović said that in this way the Government has allocated 1,8 million EUR in three years in order to enable health employees to solve their housing issues under favourable conditions.
"It is the responsible attitude of the Government and the Ministry of Health," said Minister Hrapović, adding that in this way, 322 employees in the healthcare system will resolve the housing issue.
"It is 54 flats per year, it proves that the Government really takes care of employees in the healthcare system," he underscored, noting that negotiations with trade unions in other cities and with local administrations are underway.
Director of the Housing Cooperative of Health Workers of Montenegro "Healthcare" Vladimir Pavićević thanked the Prime Minister and the Health Minister for supporting the Housing Cooperative "Healthcare".
"The Housing Cooperative solves this problem for employees of the Clinical Centre of Montenegro, Health Centre Podgorica, the Institute for Public Health, Blood Transfusion Institute, Emergency Medical Assistance Office, Montefarm, Health Fund and the Ministry of Health, which makes almost 4,000 employees. We are hopeful that we will continue to enjoy support from the Government and the Capital City," he underlined. He added that the structure of those who resolved the housing issue in this way is equal to the structure of the employees in the healthcare system.
