Every foreigner temporary staying in Montenegro including tourists from Serbia, have no reasons to worry as they will be provided with urgent medical assistance regardless of whether they have a form of the Healthcare Fund of their country or not, said director of the Fund for Healthcare Insurance, Mr Sead Čirgić.
EVERYONE HAS RIGHT TO EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
“A foreigner temporary staying in Montenegro has right to emergency healthcare protection in accordance with the Law on Healthcare Protection. Healthcare institution is obliged to urgently attend a foreigner, provided that a foreigner should bear the costs of assistance, if he/she doesn’t come from a country Montenegro has concluded interstate agreement on social insurance with”, Mr Čirgić said.
A foreigner who comes to Montenegro from a country that has concluded interstate agreement with MNE shall take appropriate form, certified by the holder of health insurance of a foreign state.
“On the basis of that form, a branch of the Fund in charge issues to the foreigner a health list on the basis of which he/she can exercise his/her right to health protection. If a person com es from the country which MNE has agreement with but has forgotten to submit the form, the form will be submitted later”, Mr Čirgić explained.
CORONAVIRUS HASN’T HAD AN IMPACT ON THE MEASURES OF THE FUND
Although there are fears that number of foreigners requesting emergency medical assistance due to coronavirus epidemic, measures of the Fund haven’t been toughened.
In ordinary situations, tourists who need emergency medical assistance shall refer to healthcare center or unit of the Institute for Emergency assistance which shall provide them with medical assistance and assesses is there’s need for referring them to other healthcare institution.
“If a foreign tourist has reasons to believe he/she has COVID-19 and is staying in a hotel, the tourist shall refer to the person in charge who then sends tourist to the healthcare center or competent epidemiologist. If a tourist has more severe clinical picture, he/she will be transported to hospital”, Mr Čirgić and added “there’s no need to worry”.
