Health Minister Vili Beros said on Friday a ministry inspection team issued its opinion on the circumstances of the death of reporter Vladimir Matijanic, who died in August from complications caused by COVID-19, and that it is up to other institutions to complete the investigation.

“I am extremely sorry that such a case occurred and we have to learn something from it, but it is up to other institutions to complete this investigation,” Beroc said in Vodice, where he participated in a convention of the Croatian Employers’ Association in Health.

The results of the investigation by the municipal State Attorney’s Office due to suspected malpractice are still pending. The Croatian Journalists’ Association has submitted a request to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for Minister Beros to be dismissed over this case and for an independent investigation to be conducted.

Beros reiterated that the ministry sent a health inspection team to investigate the circumstances of the reporter’s death, that the team was expanded to include those involved in caring for Matijanic, and that the team issued its opinion regarding that case.

“Certain irregularities were found and they were referred for further action, both to the Croatian Medical Chamber and to the County State Attorney’s Office. The ministry is not an investigative body that can investigate anything outside of its powers. The competent institutions need to be asked what the current situation in that case is. We did our part within our powers,” Beros told reporters.

He added that they found certain omissions in the provision of health care, but nothing vital, precisely because the family doctor told the patient on several occasions to go to the hospital and issued him with a referral after he was first examined in the hospital and discharged.

Therefore, he added, the patient had both the opportunity and instructions provided by the healthcare system.