At today’s press conference, the Centers for Civic Initiatives (CCI) and the Public Health Institution “Health Center Brčko” officially announced that automated transparent waiting lists for healthcare services are now operational in this medical facility. This provides patients with better access to information, facilitates the work of medical staff, and improves and simplifies communication with patients. Long waiting lists for medical services in BiH healthcare institutions not only directly affect patients’ health and lives but also create opportunities for corrupt and unlawful practices.
One of the proven best ways to improve service quality and prevent corruption is to increase transparency. In line with this, transparent waiting lists contribute to better healthcare services, protection of citizens’ right to health, and improved access to medical care.
“CCI welcomes all healthcare institutions, including the Health Center Brčko, that have introduced this system into their operations. We also call on other healthcare institutions to follow good practice and implement transparent patient waiting lists in order to improve the healthcare system and ensure simpler and easier access to healthcare services. Transparent waiting lists bring multiple benefits both to the local community and citizens as well as to healthcare institutions. Increasing transparency in this area provides better oversight of waiting lists and directly helps prevent corruption. In the long term, the establishment of such a system should reduce waiting times for patients and provide decision-makers with clearer insight into bottlenecks on waiting lists,” said Asmir Ćilimković, Project Manager at the Centers for Civic Initiatives.
By enhancing transparency, accountability, and integrity, the Health Center Brčko has set an example of good practice for the establishment of further systemic preventive solutions.
“The Public Health Institution ‘Health Center Brčko District’ is introducing electronic waiting list records at the secondary level of healthcare, i.e., in the Hospital. This is a significant step towards modernizing our healthcare system. Electronic records are a standard in contemporary healthcare systems, and we are proud that Brčko District is keeping pace with the times by implementing this system. Our ultimate goal is more efficient organization of healthcare services and better patient access to essential medical procedures and services. The introduction of the electronic system is proof of our commitment to improving the quality of healthcare and providing better conditions for both patients and medical professionals. We expect this measure to significantly improve efficiency, trust, and satisfaction among all users of healthcare services in Brčko District,” stated Emir Osmanović, Director of the Health Center Brčko.
Through this system, transparency has been significantly improved: citizens, patients, as well as representatives of civil society and the media now have public access to waiting lists on the institution’s website. The Health Center Brčko publishes all waiting lists with high demand, with the possibility of expanding to other examinations. Furthermore, interested individuals—primarily patients, but also NGOs and the media—can monitor potential changes in the available waiting lists.
“We developed software for the automatic creation and public publication of waiting lists, which, after additional coordination and staff training, has been operationalized and is now in use. With this system, patients can monitor their scheduled examinations at any time and see whether significant changes in scheduling occur. For the Health Center Brčko, the system enables better management of waiting lists, monitoring of patient flows, and enhanced analytical and statistical tracking of services. At the same time, the scheduling procedure is simple and adapted to all citizens,” said Mersad Avdić, Director of the Creativo Center.
The establishment of transparent waiting lists for patients in healthcare institutions across Bosnia and Herzegovina is crucial for improving healthcare services and restoring citizens’ trust in the public health system.