National hospital development plan to enhance health system, minister says

Health Minister Sinisa Varga presented in parliament on Wednesday the National Plan for the development of hospitals in the 2014-20 period as the first operational document on hospital development since Croatia achieved independence, saying it would eliminate the numerous shortcomings in the functioning of hospitals.

The plan covers 31 hospitals, including those founded by the state and local governments, Varga said.

The main objectives are reducing the rate of acute hospital treatment by ten percent, the average occupancy from 85 to 80% and the duration of hospitalisation by 10-40%, and increasing the number of outpatient services, including surgery cases, by at least 10%, Varga said.

The national plan is based on subsidiarity and functional integration. "Under the subsidiarity principle, health problems should be treated at the lowest health care level possible, while the functional integration principle envisages cooperation between hospitals at the necessary level so as to achieve the objectives defined in the National Plan," he said.

Hospital health care availability will be increased, the quality and effectiveness of hospital services will be enhanced, efficiency will be increased and operating costs downsized, Varga said.

The opposition HDZ party did not share his conviction, saying the Plan was superficial and that nothing would be done. "This document is a smoke screen to convince the public that something is being done, but nothing will because there is not one concrete measure guaranteeing that something from this wish list will in fact be done," said Zeljko Reiner.

Suncana Glavak, also from the HDZ, asked what the amount of the health sector debt was as of 31 January 2014. Varga said the hospital debt was HRK 1.2 billion (approx. EUR 156m) and that it was lower than in the period before.

"Why not discuss the law on medical practice and the law on patients' rights together with this material? This plan will certainly encroach on the rights of patients and the rights and obligations of physicians," said Boro Grubisic of the opposition HDSSB.

Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democrats said the plan was a list of good wishes and that the current economic situation made the health, welfare and education sectors untenable.

The ruling coalition parties saw the national plan differently than the opposition.

(Hina) ha

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