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Although doctors are anxiously awaiting the registration of the vaccine against kovid 19, because it is considered to be the only drug thanks to which the corona virus can be eradicated, the mood of citizens to contract it is not the brightest.
A survey of Belgrade residents showed that around 45 percent of the capital’s residents have yet to decide whether to get vaccinated when the vaccine is approved and available. A quarter of people said they did not want to receive the vaccine, only a fifth of citizens are ready to be vaccinated, while the decisions of about nine percent of citizens will depend on the choice of the manufacturer of the vaccine.
Furthermore, in a study conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Belgrade Institute of Economics and the Institute of Epidemiology of the Belgrade Medical School, it was noted that at the time of the survey, 41 percent of the respondents were not concerned about infection. 1 percent thought that “the situation is not as serious as it seems.”
Considering the worsening of the epidemiological situation since the end of October and the fact that the upcoming winter period poses additional risks, research leaders believe that it is necessary to focus primarily on increasing testing capacity, strengthening epidemiological surveillance and strengthening the healthcare system.
As Dr. Dragoslav Popović, an immunization expert and consultant to the Economic Institute, points out for “Politika”, nine percent of those who are not determined to get vaccinated have a wrong argument based on when they want to decide on immunization. This is the country of origin of the vaccine.
– Serbia should have a strong campaign that should focus on 54 percent of people who are against vaccination, in order to explain everything related to them. People must understand what the vaccine really means to each of us and someone must answer all their fears, misinformation and questions. If done in a strategically good way, using social marketing, and not just crisis staff announcements for kovid 19 suppression, then we’ll get a lot more people wanting to get vaccinated. It is good that it was said that vaccination will not be mandatory because people do not like any coercion – says Dr. Popović, who believes that people are already tired of the long-lasting pandemic.
He points out that he has not yet heard from any of the authorities who announced and said what the exact vaccination plan against the crown would look like, as some countries have done. It is important that this is revealed, he believes, before the first vaccine against kovid 19 reaches Serbia.
– In front of health centers and ambulances, there are lines of people who come on suspicion of covid. Vaccination cannot be organized in the same institution and people cannot wait in line for it. Someone will come once, twice, and when they see the lines, they will give up the idea of getting the vaccine. This must be thought strategically. Serbia already has an anti-vaccination movement and that should be neutralized because we will have problems. The church should be included in promoting the importance of vaccination, as Russia did, believes Dr. Popović.
Considering that since the start of the pandemic in Serbia, a large number of health institutions have operated under the kovid regime, the reduced availability of services for patients who have not been diagnosed with kovid 19 but suffer from other chronic or acute diseases , is a reality in Serbia and in most countries. .
In the first half of 2020, all health center services provided a fifth less services (21.1 percent) compared to the same period last year. In the period from April to June, compared to the first quarter, the availability of all services was reduced by 27.7 percent. In the second quarter, the volume of services provided by adult health care services decreased by 26.8 percent. Additionally, in the first half of 2020, there was a decrease in the volume of services provided at inpatient facilities by 39 percent compared to the 2016-2019 average. years. The number of first exams in health care institutions is 45 percent less compared to the same period in 2019, while 33 percent fewer days of hospitalization were performed compared to the same period last year. The reduced volume of health services provided mainly had a negative impact on the health control of chronic patients, who underwent more examinations during the year compared to the general population.
In the words of Dr. Milica Nikolić Urošević, president of the Association for the Protection of the Rights of Elected Physicians of General Medicine in Serbia, today it is almost impossible to find a specialist.
– Patients must go to the health center with their chosen doctor, who must then schedule an exam and write an instruction. Often times, no appointments are made for exams. Patients often have unregulated heart, kidney, thyroid gland problems… Their condition requires additional diagnostics and equipment that selected physicians do not have. Now most of the diagnoses are subordinate to kovid. Therefore, people are forced to go for private surgeries if they have money to pay. If they don’t, they stay home and suffer. It is more difficult for patients from Belgrade to reach an endocrinologist or gastroenterologist, emphasizes our interlocutor.
He states that there are also elderly patients who, for fear of catching it, have not left their homes since March and do not go to check-ups.
– They are afraid for a reason because they hear information about a large number of people infected and killed by kovid every day – adds Dr. Nikolić Urošević.
Adjusting the way health facilities operate to minimize risk to patients and medical staff, increasing cooperation through public-private partnerships, and greater use of digital technology and telemedicine play a role, according to the study. key in increasing the availability of health services reduced by the Kovid 19 pandemic.
These measures imply in the first place a minimum stay in the health institution and a minimum number of contacts with medical personnel. At the same time, comparative examples show enormous benefits from the use of digital technology and positive experiences in the use of telemedicine indicate great potential for use even after a pandemic.
Most European countries have integrated the private health sector into the fight against the pandemic from the beginning, especially for private laboratory services that offer a wide range of tests. At a time when it is necessary to provide additional unplanned funds to combat the pandemic, the rational use of resources and capacities and increasing the availability of basic health services is imperative.
The study by the American Chamber of Commerce was conducted with the objective of examining attitudes and behaviors related to the protection and perception of the risk of covid 19 in 804 respondents.
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