The Croatian Nursing Council (HKMS) on Tuesday condemneda statement made by President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic in which she mentioned nurses in the context of corruption.

Talking about corruption in Croatian society, Grabar-Kitarovic said that “friends asked her why she did not take anything to the hospital, because nurses expect that.” The President insinuated that nurses “expect gifts” from their patients, HKMS stated.

“Nurses and medical technicians do their jobs in a professional and ethical manner, and they are wholeheartedly committed to their patients’ well-being. We find linking this humane profession with corruptive actions unacceptable,” they stated.

“Every concerned citizen who knows of or suspects a crime is being committed has the duty to report it, indicating the full name of the suspected person. Labeling nursing as a corrupt profession is unacceptable,” said the president of the Croatian Nursing Council (HKMS) Mario Gazic.

The Croatian Nursing Cuncil expects the government to finally start addressing the many burning issues in nursing, such as the shortage of nurses, non-recognition of nursing college degrees, poor organization and unsustainable working conditions in nursing, underpayment, injustices in promotions, irregular distribution of the workload, unclear systematization of work positions, and increasingly frequent cases of verbal and physical violence, HKMS said in a press release.