Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday that the arrest of a doctor in Zadar was an example of the government's efforts to punish all those who abuse their position or public funds. He strongly condemned the transfer of patients from public to private health facilities.

“I have nothing against doctors working extra hours. But they have to justify their position in the public healthcare system. After all, we have raised doctors’ salaries by over 30 per cent. These salaries must be earned,” said Minister Beros, referring to the arrest of a doctor in Zadar.

The doctor in question, who heads a department in a state hospital and also owns a private clinic, granted a colleague paid leave and overtime to work in her clinic, defrauding the hospital of more than €55,000.

State must provide free healthcare services

“As a minister, I receive daily complaints from citizens and patients who, instead of being examined at a public health facility, are referred to private clinics where the same employees work. We will look for mechanisms to prevent this,” he said.

Beros recalled that in 2015 there was a set of rules with criteria according to which health workers were allowed to sign new labour contracts. This stated that doctors from the public healthcare system were not allowed to work privately if the waiting times for specialist examinations are longer than 60 days. However, these rules were abolished in 2016.

If only one person with a cataract is being operated on in a public healthcare facility, but 5 or 6 patients are being operated on at the same time in a private facility, then it is quite clear that something is wrong, Beros said, adding that the state must provide free healthcare services through the statutory health insurance scheme.

Certain quantities of COVID vaccines have been ordered as a precautionary measure

Regarding the acquisition and deterioration of COVID-19 vaccines, Beros said that Croatia has asked to take into account the obligations towards vaccine suppliers in the new circumstances.

“The Croatian Institute of Public Health estimates how much vaccine is needed and the amount is reduced quarterly. At one point, certain quantities were ordered as a precautionary measure, some were donated to countries that were unable to procure them. In any case, Croatia has asked the European Commission to amend the original contracts and many have been redefined,” he said.