In a press release on Monday, the Croatian Medical Chamber (HLK) called for the amendments to the Health Act to be expedited in parliament in order to enable the cancellation of, as they called them, "slave contracts".

These contracts bind junior doctors for a certain period to the hospital that sent them for their residency.

As they affect thousands of doctors, their repeal should end the years-long violation of their constitutional rights, the HLK said, adding that these contracts deny residents and specialists the right to an earned salary in the event of early termination.

The head of the HLK, Kresimir Luetic, said that the amended law should be passed before the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The amendments stipulate that doctors will no longer be penalised if they leave the hospital where they completed their specialist training before their contract expires. They can choose where they want to work and receive a maximum of €7,000 for paid training.

“The sustainability and accessibility of the Croatian public healthcare system is in the interest of everyone – both doctors and patients. This cannot be achieved with penalties. The system already lacks around 2,000 doctors. It is the responsibility of the health administration to create effective programmes to keep doctors in Croatia. This is what the developed countries of the European Union are doing: through various forms of stimulation and good working conditions. This is the only way for sustainable public health,” Luetic concluded.