Zagreb - At the beginning of a debate on the package of healthcare laws that are crucial for the implementation of the healthcare reform, Opposition MPs claimed that there was no healthcare reform, only the introduction of "crawling privatisation," while the HDZ members say that it is a step forward.
"After a long wait, we get something that can hardly be called a reform," said Anka Mrak Taritaš of the Centre and GLAS club of deputies.
Mrak Taritaš said the proposed reform was made to satisfy everyone, but in the end, it will not satisfy anyone.
Ivana Kekin (Green-Left Bloc) said that adopting such laws will have negative implications on the lives of citizens.
Amendments to the law, "cutely called" reform, do not in any way show the intention of tackling the root problems of the health system - neglected primary healthcare, no prevention, serious financial unsustainability and poor management of hospitals, which are mostly "in the hands of the HDZ."
Saying that "there is a myth" in society that healthcare should be free, yet it is not, Stephen Nikola Bartulica (Homeland Movement) warned of the monopolistic position of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), which irrationally spends taxpayers' money.
Peđa Grbin (SDP Club) also believes that the "crawling privatisation of healthcare" is taking place.
Stressing that health reform is necessary, Maja Grba Bujević (HDZ) said that amendments to the two laws would lead to progress.
Dario Hrebak (HSLS) believes that there are many good things in the proposed amendments but that there are also some things that his party is not satisfied with. He believes that the current system is "bad, slow, empty and unsustainable," so it is good that community health centres are one of the main focuses of the amendments.