Members of the Roda parents' association presented the Health Ministry on Monday the testimonies of 400 women who had experienced painful treatment in Croatian hospitals.

“We bring you the testimonies of 400 women who have experienced some form of violent and painful treatment before, after, or during labour… Minister (Milan) Kujundzic said on Thursday there were no such cases in Croatia. We have gathered the testimonies of 400 women who claim otherwise,” Daniela Drandic of the Roda association told the press outside the Health Ministry.

“This is the truth, these are the stories of 400 women who came to us in only two and a half days, this is not the first time we speak about this, but I hope it is the last, and that you will do something about it,” Drandic said.

The campaign was prompted by a statement in parliament by opposition MP Ivana Nincevic-Lesardic (Most) during the discussion on the no-confidence vote for Health Minister Kujundzic about the treatment she received at an emergency ward where she had recently ended up because of a miscarriage.

In her speech, she said that the conditions in which she received treatment resembled those from the 15th century, and that she had curettage performed on her without any anaesthetic.

“Those were the worst 30 minutes in my life. That’s what each of the thousands of women who have signed the petition went through. Do you intend to change this and when,” she asked, to which Kujundzic said that he regretted her having lost her child and would seek medical documentation to check what the case was about, adding that he had not heard of the petition she mentioned.

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