The Social Democratic Party caucus on Friday gave the government an ultimatum to adopt an action plan for seniors, describing them as social prisoners of the current pandemic.

Elderly and disabled persons should be helped to cope with the COVID restrictions more easily, while keeping their physical and mental health in the process, SDP MP Davorko Vidovic told the press.

He said 16,000 citizens in care homes had become “prisoners” because of the ban on movement or contact with anyone.

New social security measures have been introduced in 126 countries since the outbreak of the pandemic, but not in Croatia, where the ministry in charge treats vulnerable groups such as the elderly, the disabled, the homeless, migrants and the unemployed in an unacceptably passive way, said Vidovic.

“Croatia is the only country in Europe without a set of social protection measures in the pandemic. The state budget for next year doesn’t envisage funds for vulnerable groups. Instead, the social protection budget has been cut by HRK 3 billion,” he added.

The SDP demands that the ministry in charge immediately form a multidisciplinary team and come up with a set of measures for socially vulnerable citizens, and that funds be found for their protection and the procurement of medicines and TVs.

Due to fear and uncertainty, care home residents are subject to mental disease, stress, fear and loneliness, and their quality of life is markedly undermined, the SDP said.