Republic Institute of Public Health (RZZO) issued an Instruction on exercising health care for children and youth – homeless persons from shelter, with the aim to ease their access to health care. The Instruction refers to providing emergency medical assistance to these persons, as well as exercising the right to health care other than emergency medical assistance in health institutions, on the grounds of health card provided by the social welfare centres.

The Instruction prescribes obligation of social welfare centres to deliver to a shelter, upon their request, a health insurance ID (health card) for these persons. In case these persons do not possess a health card, the competent social welfare centre is due to initiate a procedure for issuing a health card before the competent branch of the RZZO. In case these persons do not have a permanent residence, the address of the social welfare centre will be registered.

According to this Instruction, RZZO is due to issue health cards for children and youth – homeless persons from shelter at its own expense, on the grounds of an application for health insurance from a social welfare centre. Taking into consideration that these children and youth are usually found wandering and begging, the competent branch of RZZO is due to urgently issue a health card, even without a birth certificate and citizen’s unique personal number.

Download (Serbian only): Instruction