Commenting on the arrest and dismissal of Health Minister Vili Beros, President Zoran Milanovic said on Friday that he condemns any abuse of the public health system for personal gain and expects any possibility of such abuse to be combated and prevented in the future.

“The Croatian public health system must be exclusively a health service that is equally available to all Croatian citizens. I condemn any use of the public health system for personal gain and expect not only a thorough investigation into the misuse of funds intended for the health system uncovered today, but also the prevention and elimination of any possibility of such misuse in the future,” Milanovic said in a statement released by his office.

Every euro spent illegally causes direct harm to Croatian citizens

By taking over the ownership and management of hospitals across the country, the government has taken on additional responsibility for the better functioning of the public health system and for the prevention of any form of abuse and corruption in this system, President Milanovic emphasised.

“Every euro earmarked for the healthcare system that is misappropriated or spent illegally directly harms Croatian citizens and makes the public healthcare system less accessible, which is unacceptable,” said the President.

Instead of forcing people to seek medical help in private, well-equipped clinics, the government has a duty to secure all the necessary equipment for public hospitals and clinics through transparent and strictly controlled procurement so that they can provide quality healthcare to Croatian citizens, Milanovic said.