ROUND-TABLE DEBATE ON DEBTS IN HEALTH SECTOR HELD

ZAGREB, Jan 23(Hina) - Former Health Minister Andro Vlahusic has dismissed his successor Andrija Hebrang's claims that the debts in the health sector amount to 7.3 billion kuna (EUR948 million), saying that according to Hebrang's logic, the former government inherited debts totalling 18.5 billion kuna (EUR2.4 billion) upon coming into power in January 2000.#L# Vlahusic spoke at a round-table debate organised in Zagreb on Friday which was conceived as a public confrontation about the real debt in the health sector between the new minister, Hebrang, and the former top people in the sector, Vlahusic and the ex-chairman of the Croatian Health Insurance Agency (HZZO) Governing Council, Nikica Gabric. Hebrang, however, did not attend the debate called "Who's Afraid of the Public and Truth?". "This is the fourth time Hebrang has refused a public confrontation with us so that we could talk openly about the real financial situation in the health sector. Our invitation stands and we leave it up to the minister to choose the place and the time for the confrontation," Vlahusic and Gabric said. Comparing the liabilities the coalition government encountered when it came into power four years ago and those he left to the new government late last year, Vlahusic said that in 2000 the coalition government took over 2.348 billion kuna in overdue debts, while leaving 1.364 billion kuna to the new government. The latter overdue debt includes 1.2 billion kuna hospitals owe suppliers and 164 million the HZZO owes for drugs, he said. All other liabilities fall within payment deadlines and can be settled from the current inflow of money, he said, adding that part of the liabilities from investments, which Hebrang also included among the debts, were due in several years' time, while some investments had not yet been realised. Vlahusic denied Hebrang's claims that tenders for hospital equipment had been invited after November's parliamentary elections had been called, saying the tenders had been planned months earlier. By stopping all tenders Hebrang has damaged the six biggest hospitals which should have received the equipment by now since funds were secured, he said. Gabric, who has been fired from the post of HZZO Governing Council chairman, dismissed Hebrang's accusation that the HZZO did not have a central financial commitments database. He said financial reports were made regularly. Commenting on Hebrang's claim that drug suppliers would block hospitals' bank accounts over debts, Gabric said suppliers always collected their debts through pressure. Grabric said it was indicative that 29 lawsuits Hebrang mentioned had been filed after the elections by former Medica director Marijan Kovacic, whom the new government then appointed to the new HZZO Governing Council. Gabric went on to say that if Hebrang had talked about the overall financial commitments in the health sector, including debt service liabilities, investments and loans, such a fierce debate would have been avoided. He said that he and Vlahusic had the "moral obligation to clear their names in a poorly directed political play". (EUR1 = 7.7 kuna) (Hina) ha sb