title: [Health care cooperatives. The role and contributions of this movement in the protection and improvement of the national health status from 1921 to 1949].
abstract: After the First World War in the devastated and destroyed country, besides hard economic problems, also many social and sanitary problems required appropriate solutions. Loss of a great number of physicians and other sanitary personnel during the war was badly reflected on health care of the population, especially in rural areas. In these conditions and on suggestions made by a young physician, dr. Gavrilo Kojitsh (Gavrilo Kojić), many health cooperatives were established. Funds were secured by membership fees payed by the members to the so-called patients' funds. These financial resources were intended for covering of expenses in case of illness or death of a cooperative member or a member of his family. Monthly payment depended on the number of family members and degree of health insurance. A cooperative was composed of 300-500 families. The first health cooperatives were established in 1921 and up to 1939 there were 87 cooperatives with 97 physicians and 71 pharmacists. The price of a doctor's consultation was 3-4 times smaller than that in a private doctor's office, and prices of medications and drugs were reduced. In addition to curative treatment, the outpatient service of these cooperatives included maternal and infant care centres with visiting nursing service, sections for fight against infectious disease (vaccination), especially tuberculosis, education, rebuilding of villages, better water-supply, etc. In 1949 these health cooperatives were integrated into the new system of public health services.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jeremić
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolić
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007348:Insurance, Health; D014857:Warfare; D015022:Yugoslavia