Association of Patients' Organisations in the federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Social Participation Concept

The civil sector should identify an appropriate form of representation through which the interests of all categories of patients will be expressed. The easiest way to achieve this goal is through Supreme Patient Association consisted of representatives from registered associations whose legally confirmed purpose is the exercise of patients' rights. The Association mission must be the policy of protecting the rights of all patients and patients’ groups, while fulfillment of the obligation to protect the rights of the patients and the monitoring of the implementation of the Act would be its primary responsibility. The Initiative Committee should make an effort to gather representatives of existing patients’ associations and other stakeholders, and guide them to form the umbrella association. At the same time, there needs to be made a clear distinction in terms of difference in respect to roles of the future founder. In short, the tasks of this association can be divided into three areas: raising awareness; encouraging authorities to respect the principles of equal protection of patients' rights; and collecting data on the state of patient rights protection. In conclusion, it logically seems completely clear and justified: 1. existence of one supreme/umbrella association, 2. collection of relevant data in a methodologically correct manner by authorized bodies and from the entire territory for which the umbrella association was established; and 3. to inform the base on conclusions of analysies concernig particular issues - both for a specific location and for the entire territory (either the municipality; the canton; the federation).