The Committee on Health and the Family held its tenth sitting on 11 March 2009. The sitting was chaired by the Committee Chairman, Dr Paja Momcilov, and attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Dr Nevena Karanovic.

At the initiative of the deputies, members of the Democratic Party of Serbia deputy club, regarding the information titled “Went for an Operation, Lost a Kidney”, published on the B92 site on 5 March 2009 (press release by NGO Re-Action head, Jasminka Lehlajtner), the Committee adopted the following conclusions:

1. The Committee condemns the misuse of the media for unsubstantiated accusations of the health service and its employees, releasing unverified and incorrect information which resulted in the sullying of reputations of top health experts and alarming the public.

2. The Committee appeals to non-government organizations and individuals not to alarm the public by irresponsible and incorrect statements, and requests from the relevant authorities to penalize such behaviour.

3. The Committee supports and encourages the media to follow all events in the health sector objectively in line with the norms of professional ethics, and inform the public in a timely manner.

4. The Committee proposes that the National Assembly Speaker convene a National Assembly sitting to discuss the issue: the situation in Serbian health institutions.