In the seventh month of a twin pregnancy, H. K, an internally displaced Roma from Kosovo, was forced to wait for more than four hours to be examined at the Department of Gynecology, because she did not possess the unique personal citizen’s number.

On 9 March 2015, H. K. (35) was immediately sent from the village ambulance nearby Pozarevac to the hospital in Pozarevac because of high blood pressure and swollen legs. As her health problems were completely ignored in the hospital, with the excuse that she was not “in the system” for the lack of the unique personal citizen’s number, H. K.’s husband informed Praxis. Only upon Praxis’ intervention, was H. K. examined by a doctor.

Seven days after the examination, H. K.  gave birth to her babies. However, her two newborn daughters are currently in incubators at the Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Belgrade.

Since this is not a single case, Praxis reminds that emergency medical care is free and it is completely inadmissible that administrative procedure is the obstacle to urgent medical examination. Every citizen of the Republic of Serbia has the right to urgent medical care, regardless of whether he/she has a health booklet or any other document. Moreover, according to the law, children, pregnant women and new mothers enjoy special protection.