Upon the investigation to control the legality and regularity of operations of the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RHIF) launched by the Protector of Citizens in mid-June 2021, this healthcare institution has provided financial means for a breakthrough therapy for treating 13 cystic fibrosis patients – 9 children and 3 adults.

Upon the citizens’ complaints, the Protector of Citizens launched the investigation to control the RHIF operations requesting the body to inform him on the possibility to provide for the medicine “Trikafta” as a therapy to children suffering from cystic fibrosis from compulsory health insurance funds.

Upon examining the monitored authority’s report, the Protector of Citizens determined that the medicine “Trikafta” was not registered in the Republic of Serbia, and that, on the basis of the insight into the submitted documents of the competent health Institution, according to the Government of the Republic of Serbia Act, the RHIF Commission for treating rare diseases makes the decision on treating the insured patients suffering from rare diseases with medicines for treating rare diseases from the budgetary funds of the Republic of Serbia.

The Protector of Citizens determined that the RHIF provided certain financial resources for an extremely expensive innovative therapy for treating cystic fibrosis patients and that members of the RHIF Commission have been appointed to treat cystic fibrosis.

In late August 2021, this Commission, in accordance with the financial resources at its disposal, approved the commencement of the treatment of 13 cystic fibrosis patients (nine children and four adult patients) with “Kaftrio + Kalydeco”, initiated a public procurement procedure for these medicines and informed on the matter the health care institutions where patients who have been approved for therapy are being treated.

Upon learning that one convicted person died in Prokuplje District Prison due to poor health and lack of medical assistance, the Protector of Citizens launched own-initiative investigation to control the legality and regularity of the Institution’s operations.

The Protector of Citizens has requested Prokuplje District Prison to submit, within 15 days, the information on the moment when the deceased convicted person tested positive for coronavirus, activities that have been undertaken to provide timely and adequate healthcare, as well as the manner in which his health has been examined.

The Protector of Citizens has requested the District Prison in Prokuplje to notify him about the number of examinations provided to the convicted person upon learning that he had tested positive for COVID-19, whether the convicted person was taken to a healthcare facility outside prison, days of doctor’s presence in the facility, and whether during the weekend (2 and 3 October 2021) he was informed that the convicted person needed medical assistance and if so, about the treatment on that occasion. In this regard, the authority requested full medical documentation related to the manner of providing health care to the convicted person from the moment he learned that he had tested positive for COVID-19.

In addition, the Protector of Citizens demanded the Prokuplje Prison to notify him whether other convicts in the prison were infected with the corona virus, what healthcare they were provided with, as well as how preventive measures were taken to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In the capacity of an observer, the Protector of Citizens of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Zoran Pašalić monitored the conduct of the election process for Members of the State Duma in the Russian Federation, as well as for regional and local parliaments, taking place from 17 to 19 September 2021.

At the invitation of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation, Pašalić, as an observer in Moscow, monitored the conditions for holding the elections within the Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation signed by the two institutions in November 2018 which granted easier and quicker problem-solving for Serbian citizens in the Russian Federation, and those from the Russian Federation in the Republic of Serbia, as well as every sort of assistance and cooperation.

During the three-day election, Mr. Pašalić paid visits to a large number of polling stations and observed the conditions during the voting, with particular focus on the conditions within the Ombudsman’s competence: accessibility of polling stations, voting by people with disabilities and the ones deprived of liberty, as well as voting by people being far from the polling stations.

After social networks information that in the Municipality of Apatin, the service of a personal assistant was cancelled for a large number of children with disabilities denying them the right to education in that way, the Protector of Citizens launched own initiative investigation to control work regularity and legality of the local self-government unit.

Taking into account the possibility of endangering or violating the rights and best interests of the child as children with disabilities cannot attend school without a personal assistant, the Protector of Citizens has requested the Apatin Municipal Administration to inform him about all the circumstances related to the allegations on social networks, as well as about the measures and activities that it will take in this case.

The Municipality of Apatin should submit the requested data and documentation to the Protector of Citizens within 15 days.