The government on Friday allocated 1.34 billion kuna (€177 million) to hospitals for the repayment of a part of the debt to drug wholesalers.

Health Minister Vili Beros said HRK 1.34 billion had been ensured to repay the debt to drug suppliers in order to maintain an equal level of healthcare in the entire country.

Hospitals whose founder is the state (KBC hospitals and clinical centers) will be provided with HRK 868.1 million, while HRK 472.7 million has been ensured for hospitals owned by counties.

The funds will only be used to repay part of the debt ‘under established criteria’, Beros said.

He said that the European Commission had sent the draft advance purchase agreement for the development, production, priority procurement and deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine for EU member states, which the EC had arranged with the Pfizer pharmaceutical company.

The EC has to date concluded three purchase agreements for the vaccine and agreed a framework for the procurement of 200 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the possibility of purchasing an additional 100 million, Beros added.