ZAGREB, Jan 19 (Hina) - Health Minister Andro Vlahusic said on Sunday that if patients' health and lives were endangered during a doctors' strike next week, he would resort to all legal measures at his disposal to protect patients'
rights.
ZAGREB, Jan 19 (Hina) - Health Minister Andro Vlahusic said on
Sunday that if patients' health and lives were endangered during a
doctors' strike next week, he would resort to all legal measures at
his disposal to protect patients' rights. #L#
Today the Health Ministry will instruct hospital managers to ensure
the functioning of health services in full on Monday, which means
that besides emergency and on call services, work is mandatory in
outpatient departments, laboratories and polyclinics, Vlahusic
told Hina.
The Croatian Doctors' Union's strike committee decided yesterday
that starting Monday, polyclinics would not work and patients whose
condition did not require emergency treatment would not be
admitted.
Vlahusic said disciplinary proceedings would be instigated against
any health employee who refused to provide citizens with health
care.
The minister said participation in a strike was permitted under the
Labour Act and the collective agreement, and that the government
did not ban the strike. However, all health institutions are
obliged to organise full health care under an agreement with the
Health Insurance Institute, he added.
Under the Labour Act, an employer may ask the competent court to ban
the organisation and holding of a strike if it is contrary to the
Act's provisions. The county court in Zagreb rules on the possible
strike ban while the ruling may be appealed with Croatia's Supreme
Court.
(hina) ha sb