The City of Zagreb will file a complaint with the Constitutional Court and ask it to check the constitutionality of a legal provision on health care under which as of 1 January 2024 hospitals should become state hospitals, the head of the city's health department, Lora Vidovic, said on Monday.

On 1 January 2024, local government units and the City of Zagreb would cease to be the founders and owners of general hospitals, which would become state hospitals, after which hospital steering boards and directors would be replaced and new steering boards and acting directors appointed.

Vidovic said that the City of Zagreb administration does not agree with the decision.

“We are against the state taking over the founding rights over the Sveti Duh Hospital, a city-owned hospital. We have communicated that clearly in our proposals when the law was only a draft,” she said.

The city administration bases its complaint on a 2012 Constitutional Court ruling under which, exactly because local government units are closest to citizens living in their territory, they have the right to co-decide about the establishment, merger or closure of medical institutions in their territory.

City of Zagreb would not have influence on health policies concerning citizens

The City of Zagreb administration believes that it must continue to be the founder of the Sveti Duh Hospital because if it loses its founding rights, it will lose the possibility to organise or influence health policies that concern citizens.

“Another important reason is exceptionally important investments. In the last three years alone the City of Zagreb has invested more than €40 million in the Sveti Duh Hospital, plus 16 million for renovation. That is a significant investment,” she said.

Asked if the provision that the City of Zagreb would still have to be asked for an opinion when hospital directors are appointed secured at least partially the city’s rights or influence on future health policies, Vidovic said that it was not clear how that provision would be implemented in reality.

“Currently the Mayor of Zagreb, that is the local government unit, gives consent for the appointment of medical institutions’ directors. However, it is not clearly prescribed what happens if they do not obtain their consent, that is, it is not entirely clear how exactly that provision would be implemented in practice. That remains one of the outstanding issues,” Vidovic said.

She noted that currently work was underway on a draft budget for 2024 and the City of Zagreb would continue to act as if it remained the founder of the Sveti Duh Hospital.

Vidovic stressed that hospitals would not be abolished and that Zagreb residents would continue to have access to quality medical services at Sveti Duh.