On 23 February 2011, the Committee on Health and the Family held its forty-third sitting. The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Dr Paja Momcilov and attended by State Secretaries at the Ministry of Health Dr Perisa Simonovic and Dr Nevena Karanovic and Assistant Minister of Health Dr Ivana Misic and associates.

The Committee members considered the Information on the Ministry of Health Activities in 2010, which was presented to the Committee by State Secretary at the Ministry of Health Dr Nevena Karanovic. She reminded the participants that 2010 saw the adoption of seven health laws, among them the Law on Protection of Citizens from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, Law on Medicines and Medical Devices, Law on Controlled Psychoactive Substances, as well as several rulebooks. The Government of the Republic of Serbia also adopted two action plans for the implementation of the strategies passed in 2009 viz.: Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for ensuring adequate amounts of safe blood and blood components in the Republic of Serbia and the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy for continual improvement of quality of health care and patient safety for the period 2010-2015, as well as the National Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Treatment and Control Programme in the Republic of Serbia by 2020.

Karanovic stressed that since 11 November 2010, 6674 inspections have been implemented under the Law on Protection of Citizens from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke and in most cases the ban is abided by.

She stated that according to the World Bank report Serbian quality of health care services is 46^th among 133 countries. Karanovic also said the Ministry of Health was among the first to start implementing a program budget. She said that last year 36 transplantations have been completed in five medical centres. Karanovic pointed out that the Health Ministry’s priority is to continue the implementation of the main goal of the Health Care Development Plan with a series of measures and activities to be implemented by both the health care service, and other services outside of the country’s health care system, as well as the preservation and improvement of general health.

The Committee members went on to debate and point out the problems in the health care system and ask questions of the Ministry of Health representatives present.