At the sitting held on 15 April, the Committee on Health and the Family discussed the work issues of the chambers of health professionals. The sitting was chaired by Dr Paja Momcilov, Committee Chairman.

At the beginning of the sitting, the Committee members were addressed by the Director of the Serbian Medical Chamber, Dr Tatjana Radosavljevic who elaborated the initiative to estimate the constitutionality of article 277 of the Health Protection Law. On the behalf of 28,500 doctors she requested that the provision of the Law prohibiting doctors employed in public health institutions from doing additional work in the private sector, which came into force in December 2008, be rescinded. According to her it violates their constitutional right to work, the Labour Law and conventions of the International Labour Organisation signed by Serbia.

The Committee members pointed out that, in the meantime, the Constitutional Court of Serbia had forwarded the initiative to estimate the constitutionality of the provision to the Legislative Committee, requesting an opinion.

Speaking about the work of the chambers of health professionals, the Committee members pointed out the large number of complaints by doctors and dentists, as well as citizens, about the work of both chambers, particularly the stomatological.

Zorica Pavlovic, Assistant Minister of Health, stressed that the legality of the work and acts of the two health chambers is currently under review.

At the end of the discussion the Committee adopted the following conclusions:

1. The Committee has been thoroughly informed on the Proposal to determine the unconstitutionality and illegality of article 277 of the Health Protection Law which the Serbian Medical Chamber had submitted to the Constitutional Court and requests that the competent authorities, in line with valid regulations, act with urgency and adopt the appropriate decisions.

2. The Committee believes the Serbian Medical Chamber and Stomatological Chamber still do not do their duties with full capacity under the Law, statute and other acts.

3. Due to suspected violations of the law, statute and rulebook of the chambers, the Committee proposes that both chambers be put under administrative supervision, in line with the regulations in force.