Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said on Wednesday that the ongoing strike in the healthcare system was a right under the law, noting that there were far fewer strikes in Croatia than in Italy, Spain or Portugal, which he saw as proof that "Croatians realise that the situation is difficult, they cope and adjust."
Milanovic made the statement in parliament when asked by a deputy of the Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) about the strike of the physicians' and nurses' unions, which started on Wednesday morning, and whether his cabinet had given up its motto "Health for Everybody" as envisaged in the ruling coalition's election programme "Agenda 21".
"You stated that you would prioritise investing in the professional training of doctors and nurses over investments in hospital buildings. Today we are witnessing over 40,000 physicians and nurses going on strike, putting the patients' rights at risk," HDSSB MP Salapic said during Question Time.
Milanovic replied that this government had done all it could "and even more" but that it was faced with "a huge budget gap" as well as a huge public sector.
"We will have to make certain corrections here, but there will be no cutbacks," Milanovic said, adding that low salaries of physicians and nurses were caused by the "cumbersome" healthcare system.
