The strike by healthcare workers has sparked sharp criticism from two presidential candidates, Ivana Kekin of the Mozemo party and independent candidate Marija Selak-Raspudic, who both condemn the government's handling of the ongoing crisis.

While Kekin emphasises the disorder in the public healthcare system and the harmful effects on oncology patients, Selak-Raspudic warns that the strike could further increase the profits of private clinics – a system she accuses Health Minister Vili Beros and ruling party candidate Dragan Primorac of exploiting for their personal gain.

Kekin: Strike is a symptom of the complete collapse of the healthcare system

The presidential candidate of the Mozemo party, Ivana Kekin, stated on Monday that the strike of health workers is a symptom of the complete collapse of the health system and called it unacceptable that Health Minister Vili Beros has not yet presented a plan to solve the crisis.

“It is unacceptable and says a lot about the situation that the Minister of Health is not able to come before the public and explain his plan to solve this crisis,” Kekin said in Parliament, noting that the health system is in disarray.

Kekin expressed particular concern about the situation of cancer patients, as any delay in their treatment directly and inevitably affects their chances of survival. “It really begs the question of how it is possible to provide adequate treatment that lasts several months when patients are constantly faced with a crisis in the healthcare system,” she said.

She also criticised the transfer of public funds to private clinics to reduce waiting lists. “Your (HDZ party presidential candidate) Dragan Primorac has received twice as much tax money this year as last year, 900,000 euros. Look at the clinics and their owners – Rajkovic from Medikol, Primorac, Schwarz, the owner of Radiochirurgia, these are people who have supported the HDZ for decades, they are the ones who receive this money,” she said.

Selak-Raspudic: Strike would lead to longer waiting lists for medical examinations

Independent presidential candidate Marija Selak-Raspudic said that the strike would lead to longer waiting lists for medical examinations. The longer the waiting lists for medical examinations and appointments, the higher the profit for private clinics, Selak-Raspudic said at the press conference in Zagreb.

She stated that Health Minister Vili Beros will once again provide “millions of euros” to private clinics in order to shorten the waiting lists in public hospitals and solve the problem.

The independent MP wondered whether the industrial action had been deliberately allowed to take place so that private clinics could ultimately benefit from it.

Health Minister Vili Beros has so far solved the problem of long waiting lists for examinations by transferring these services to private clinics, she said, claiming that the hospital of Dragan Primorac, the presidential candidate supported by the ruling HDZ party, is among those that have benefited from such transfers.

“We cannot allow services to be transferred from the public to the private sector,” she said, calling for a strengthening of the public healthcare system.

Selak-Raspudic said the striking union was angry over their wage increase of about 2% as the price of the basket of goods had increased by at least 15% in the past year.