Roughly 780 million kuna (€104 million) will be set aside from the state budget to public hospitals to cover their liabilities to drug wholesalers and hospital equipment and supplies providers, according to the decision made by the government on Friday.

Health Minister Vili Beros said that the intention of the decision was to preserve the same level of healthcare protection and services throughout Croatia and enable hospitals to do business smoothly.

So far in 2021, this has been the third decision of this kind to help the public hospitals to cover their debts. All the three decisions cost HRK 2.1 billion (281 million) on the aggregate.

The government today decided on the donation of 180,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to poorest countries under the COVAX mechanism.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)