The meeting between doctors' associations and the government was constructive and it defined what must be solved quickly, the health minister and the associations' representatives said after Tuesday's meeting which the PM called for so that a strike could be avoided.

“We resumed the constructive dialogue, covering every topic. Agreement on wage indices is in the final stage, but we gave ourselves until 28 April for this decree to go into force,” Minister Vili Beros told the press.

As for post-residency contractual obligations, we must balance public interest and a doctor’s option to choose their path, he added.

Beros said he will liberalise the contractual obligations and resolve the current situation with legal acts.

We agreed to review the healthcare measures plan by 1 October and at the same time work on a bill on the legal status of doctors’ and a bill on wages in public services, he said, adding that the issue of overtime hours will be resolved.

It was essential to show that all we want is to dedicate ourselves to patients and do the work for which we studied, said Croatian Doctors’ Union chief Renata Culinovic-Caic.

Regarding a possible strike, she said the union’s assembly unanimously decided that if necessary, a strike would be launched following a decision by the main committee.

“Since this was a constructive talk, it’s up to me to inform the committee about what was agreed and it will then decide whether there should be a strike or not,” she added.