Montenegro Health Talks 01/2000

Health Coordination Meeting Summary
Date: 12th January 2000

Location: Institute of Public Health (IPH) Podgorica

Co-chairing by:

Dr Boban Mugosa, Head of Epidemiological Unit, IPH Podgorica
Dr Maria Cristina Profili, HOO - WHO Sub-Office, Podgorica

Consecutive interpretation by:

Mr. Ivan Markovic, Clerk - WHO Sub-Office Podgorica

Minutes by:

Mr Dragan Mugosa, PA - WHO Sub-Office Podgorica
Dr Maria Cristina Profili, HOO - WHO Sub-Office, Podgorica

Attendance:

Institute of Public Health, Podgorica (IPH);
Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
Co-ordinating Committee for Voluntary Service (COSV);
Cooperazione Italiana (CI);
Enfant du Monde (EdM);
International Medical Corps (IMC);
Intersos (INTERSOS);
Pharmaciens Sans Frontieres (PSF);
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
United Nation High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR)
World Health Organization (WHO)

Main topics:

Epidemiological Profile; NGO's - update of activities

Introduction

Dear "Partner in Health": "Efficient and effective humanitarian assistance requires good communication and coordination of efforts of all subjects involved. Your collaboration is highly appreciated, in order to support the exchange of information among agencies, to assist you in identifying priority areas to whom your assistance would be most beneficial, to easily identify possible gaps and beneficiaries where your activity could be effective and helpful". Comments and suggestions to this format of Health Talks are welcomed.

Agenda:

1. Introduction (IPH/WHO)
2. Adoption of the agenda
3. Epidemiological profile - update (IPH)
4. NGO's - update of activities
5. Other issues
6. Announcements
7. Conclusions
8. Documentation distributed in the meeting

1. Introduction (IPH/WHO)

Dr Profili and Dr Mugosa welcomed everybody to the first health co-ordination meeting of this year. Expressing their gratitude for the great help provided by all the Humanitarian Agencies during the past difficult year in Montenegro. IPH and WHO representatives welcomed the new comers, inviting International Medical Corps (IMC), Enfant du Monde (EdM) and Pharmaciens Sans Frontiere (PSF) new representatives to introduce them self to the other participants. UNICEF welcomed the participants with a calendar as a gift for the year 2000.

2. Adoption of the agenda

All participants agreed with the proposed agenda. The participants added no other issues.

3. Epidemiological profile - update (IPH)

Institute of Public Health Podgorica (IPH Podgorica)

Dr Mugosa presented the epidemiological profile in the Republic of Montenegro for the month of December. During this month, 1098 cases of communicable diseases were reported in addition to 4790 cases of influenza as showed in the following table:

4. NGO's - update of activities

Action Contre la Faim (ACF)

ACF informed the participants that the "Baby Care Center" in the new wood barrack is ready and will be open at the beginning on February. Training on hygiene and feeding habits is planning to be organized.

KAP survey is going on and is planned to be finished at the end of January.

Nutrition activities will be implemented until the middle of the year.

Co-ordinating Committee for Voluntary Services (COSV)

COSV made a distribution plan for Montenegro in collaboration with PSF. The second order of drug supply distributions will be distributed in the Dom Zdravlja, Hospitals and state Pharmacies of Montenegro.

The drugs distribution list of December was distributed during the meeting.

The assessment made in Niksic settlement in December by COSV together with IPH, ICS and WHO was followed-up by buying a Combi-mini bus (eight sites) for supporting the transportation of people in need from the settlements to the DZ and viceversa. The Combi will be managed by COSV for the next three months, including the expenditure for the driver and all the running costs.

Copy of the Niksic assessment will be delivered to all the NGO's.

Cooperazione Italiana (CI)

Cooperazione Italiana is planning to finish, at the end of January, the rehabilitation of the dormitory ward in the Special Institute for retarded young people in Podgorica.

CRIC financed by Italian Cooperation will start the rehabilitation of some ward in the Mental Health Hospital of Dobrota.

Enfant du Monde (EdM)

EdM open an accommodation and recreative center for IDPs children on Bar of age from 4 to 17 year. Almost 300 children using the center with an average of 100/day.

Three teams working in the centers: animation, logistic and medical teams.

The medical team is composed by: one psychiatrician, one epidemiologist and one nutritionist. The psychiatrician is helping the animation team to organize their activities. One epidemiologist and and one nutritionist working with ah hoc contract in the center. Vaccinations were made by the DZ in the center. The medical team in making also home-visit to some families in need in Stari-Bar.

International Medical Corps (IMC)

Dr Stacey Ballau and Dr Agron S. Gashi, IMC representatives of the mission in Kosovo are in Montenegro for one week to make an assessment to find gaps that should be covered in the medical sector. Specific interest is toward the patronage system in PHC.

IMC is planning to open an office in Montenegro early spring.

Intersos (INTERSOS)

INTERSOS announced that, from January 2000, has taken over the management of the 'Ambulanta' in Konik Camp.

In the "Health Unit", in the month of December, the total number of consultations was 2454, out of which 1228 in the Paediatric and 1226 in the General Practitioner Ambulantas.

During the month of December, 88 cases of communicable diseases were reported, out of which:

For enterocolitis cases, 50 vessels for stool specimens have been distributed among the patients, out of which 11 were brought back for analyzing. Among the coprocultures one case of Salmonella has been reported, isolated and treated.

In December IPH and WHO organized a vaccination against influenza.

WVI is providing the transportation of IDPs from the "Health Unit" in the camp to the Dz or to the Hospital.

Sanitary and hygienic situation is quite bed inside and outside the barracks. The WC cabins are not in use and faecal materials are spread all over in the camp.

Pharmaciens Sans Frontieres (PSF)

Dr Raffaella Ravinetto announced that she will finish the mission in PSF at the end of February and introduced Dr. Laurence Pierson as the new replacement. Dr. Ravinetto reported that PSF has made over 90 distributions in December: 27 in the Dom Zdravlja; 17 in Hospitals and 37 in the state Pharmacies of Montenegro including the anticancerous drugs.

Specific drugs and medical materials were integrated in the standard list at the end of December.

The drugs distribution list of December was distributed during the meeting and the anticancerous drugs needs-priority list of 2000 were distributed during the meeting.

PSF informed the participants that ICRC started a distribution of medical materials, mainly for surgery, and some anaesthetic, in the three hospital of Podgorica, Berane and Bar. A detailed list was distributed during the meeting.

Coordination with the other NGO's working in drug donation is going well.

United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF made contract with Torlak in order to continue to supply the vaccines to cover the routine vaccination all over Montenegro.

WVI program on health education is under revision to be extended.

United Nation High Commissioners for Refugees (UNHCR)

UNHCR is at the moment reviewing IRC and WVI health projects to be extended for the year 2000.

UNHCR is supporting the Montenegrin Commissioner Office to accommodate some IDP/refugees in Social Institutions. UNHCR also is supporting the idea of the construction of building for elderly and social cases of the Ministry of Social Welfare.

UNHRC called the NGO's to set up a procedure for eventual funeral of IDPs living in the camps and collective centers.

World Health Organization (WHO)

Dr Profili informed the participants that WHO will continue operating in Montenegro next year and will concentrate in the area of development of human resources beside the coordination and humanitarian assistance activities.

Some activities on specific sector are in planning to be implemented in collaboration with UNICEF.

5. Any other issues

The participants added no other topics in the agenda.

6. Announcement

Next Health Co-ordination meeting will be held on the 26 of January 2000.

7. Conclusion

The continuation of coordination meetings on the health and related sector will continue on all levels from the Government to municipality level.

Ad hoc local coordination meetings can be organized if there is any specific need.

8. Documentation distributed in the meeting

PSF drugs distribution list of December

PSF anticancerous drugs needs-priority list of 2000

COSV drugs distribution list of December

ICRC medical materials list and specification of supply kits

For further information you can contact:

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Dr. Maria Cristina Profili, Head of Sub-Office
Mr. Dragan Mugosa, Personal Assistant

World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe
Area for Humanitarian Assistance Sub-Office, Podgorica
Cetinski Put bb-Gornja Gorica, 81000 Podgorica

+381 (81) 260880, 260900 Fax: +381 (81) 260595
mobile: +381 (69) 017330
whopg@cg.yu

INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Prof. Dr. Novica Vujosevic, Director of IPH

Institute of Public Health, Podgorica
Ljubljanska, b.b. Bolnicki Krug, 81000 Podgorica

+381 (81) 241 214, 243 728 Fax: +381 (81) 224 098