"There are official requests by all hospital managers and commissions set up for that purpose and there has been no request for the purchase of PET/CT scanners during my term," Milinovic said.

Reporters asked Milinovic to comment on an alleged HZZO memo of 5 February 2009, which has appeared in the media, rejecting the KBC Rijeka hospital's request for a PET/CT scanner with the explanation that the project, for opening PET/CT scan departments based on the model of public-private partnership, was being implemented by the private polyclinic Medikol.

Milinovic reiterated that there had been no such requests during his term and that if there were, "it must be done in accordance with the law."

Reporters said the HZZO memo stated that Medikol was implementing the project in accordance with a contract with the Health Ministry. Milinovic replied that those were contracts from 2006 and 2007, when he was not the minister of health, and that further questions should be put to the HZZO.

He said health inspectors were sent to Medikol yesterday and that a ministry commission of inquiry had not established anything irregular following media reports that about 8,500 patients had been exposed to unnecessary radiation when they had PET/CT scans.

Milinovic said the ministry yesterday sent inspectors to Zagreb's Sisters of Mercy hospital as well, who established that about 700 patients had cancer and that therefore they had not been exposed to unnecessary radiation.

He reiterated that contracts with private polyclinics were not signed by the ministry but by the HZZO and that 80 per cent of them were signed before his term.

Also today, the HZZO said the KBC Rijeka hospital had not requested the purchase of a PET/CT scanner and that the HZZO had not turned it down.

The HZZO said it was not authorised to buy medical equipment, including PET/CT scanners, and that hospitals submitted such requests to the Health Ministry.