Representatives of the Croatian Nurses' Chamber demanded a higher ratio of nurses to patients in social care, during their meeting with Labour and Social Policy Minsitry's State Secretary in Zagreb on Thursday.

“Just how bad and unsustainable the situation is can probably best be seen in the example that only 1 nurse cares for 89 patients with mental disturbances, or that 150 mentally ill patients are also cared for by just one nurse and three to four carers,” the chamber’s president Mario Gazic said after the talks with state-secretary Marija Pletikosa.

The chamber recommends changes to the rules on minimum conditions in providing social care which defines the number of staff for individual types of institutions, their competencies and other aspects regarding labour relations.

More than 1,800 nurses work in state-run and private social welfare institutions and homes for the elderly, children and mentally ill as well people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

“We recommend that the number of nurses for 17 mentally ill patients be increased to three. In aged-care homes we recommend that a minimum of five nurses be employed to every 100 independent beneficiaries and 7 nurses to every 100 patients partially reliant on assistance,” said Gazic.

As far as people with dementia are concerned, who require assistance and supervision to be able to satisfy their everyday needs, a minimum of six nurses should be assigned to 20 beneficiaries, he added.