Koçiu announced that after intensive work on some quick and meaningful changes in the Law on the Order of Doctors, it was concluded that opening or working in a private clinic for public sector doctors will continue until the respective hospital completes the autonomy process and upon obtaining autonomy this will be strictly prohibited.

Doctors employed in the public sector who have opened or work in private clinics, as well as those who want to do so in the future, must obtain an authorization/permit from the head of the hospital where they are employed.

Koçiu said that it will be legally prohibited for a doctor to follow up the same patients in the private clinic. A doctor who follows up patients in state hospital is in conflict of interest if he asks these patients to come to the private clinic that he himself opened or works there.

Koçiu stated that doctors who have opened and/or work in private clinics will not be able to hold any management position at any level in public hospitals or the University of Medicine. “The history of the transfer of patients to the private clinic by the managers of public services will come to an end as soon as this legal change is approved,” Koçiu said.

Also, the breach of the rule that public hospital managers cannot have private clinics or work in them, on top of dismissal from the position and a significant fine for the doctor, as well as a fine for the private clinic, could lead to the suspension of activity for both the parties for certain terms.
/sm/