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.