The first meeting between the Health Care Committee and the representatives of the Ministry of Health, in 2018, within the program Partnership for Better Business Environment, was held on Wednesday, 28 February. The Ministry of Health was represented by Mr. Nikola Antović, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health.

Antović was awarded a recognition on behalf of American Chamber of Commerce for exceptional contribution to the program Partnership for Better Business Environment for the previous year.

During the meeting, new Executive Board of the Committee was introduced: Mr. Miloš Ičević from the company Hoffman La Roche, the President of the Committee, and Ms. Jelena Milošević from the company MSD, the Vice-president of the Committee. 

The attendees discussed the priorities of the Ministry of Health in 2018, accordingly to the adopted Governmental Action Plan for the current year, among all, about the introduction of innovative medical technologies. It has been announced that the Fund for the treatment of rare and expensive diseases will be formed in the upcoming period and that separate budget will be formed for its purposes.

The Lists of Drugs have been announced and put into force in January. However, they are soon to be revised due to the technical mistakes they contain. The Ministry has announced that the Lists of Drugs are to be revised at least twice per year, since their innovation represents an important saving for the budget.

It has been concluded that the collaboration between AmCham Health Care Committee and the Ministry of Health within the program Partnership for Better Business Environment will be continued in order to ensure sustainable healthcare system in Montenegro.

Program Partnership for Better Business Environment (Partnership, PBBE) American Chamber of Commerce has been implementing with the Ministries in the Government of Montenegro, since April 2017.

The aim of the program is to raise the level of mutual understanding between the private and public sector in Montenegro. This way contributes towards more efficient overcoming of the business barriers, as well as to the quality of legal solutions and better application of legal norms on behalf of public, as well as private sector.

The core of the program are quarterly held meetings between the representatives of the public administration and private sector during which will be discussed pre-arranged topics and will aim to come up with concrete ways to eliminate business barriers.