Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday dismissed any connection between the 16 May local elections and plans for the healthcare reform.

Asked by the press about Health Minister Vili Beros’s statement at Thursday’s meeting of the parliamentary health committee that the beginning of the reform would wait for the elections, Plenkovic said that Beros “only hinted at such a thesis and it (thesis) is not correct.”

“As far as I am concerned, the new draft laws (on the overhaul of the health sector) can be put on the government’s agenda next week, if Minister Beros and his associates have prepared them, Plenkovic told the press during his visit to the Istrian city of Pula, adding that his cabinet has already endorsed several laws concerning this topic.

The overhaul of the healthcare system should be conducted by those employed in the system, he said and added that efforts should be directed towards the reduction of expenses which are, he stressed, very high and keep growing.

It is easy to say that the average healthcare outlay (per inhabitant) in the European Union is €3,100 and in Croatia €860, Plenkovic commented and added that it would be an easier approach to just increase the outlays for this purpose.

“I think that additional efforts should be made in cutting expenses, through more functional mergers, better organisation of public procurement, more centralisation, control and cost-saving. This is how we can make important headway,” the premier said.