PRIME MINISTER RELIEVES HEALTH MINISTER OF DUTY

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan relieved Health Minister Ana Stavljenic Rukavina of duty at a government session on Tuesday. Addressing reporters after today's extraordinary closed-door session, Racan said the minister's resignation was a moral act. #L# The government did not accept the resignation of Health Minister's deputy Ranko Ostojic. According to conclusions adopted at the session, there is a high level of probability that last week's death of 23 kidney patients who underwent hemodialysis in Croatian hospitals was caused by Plivadial P-15 and P-18 dialysers, which are produced by the US company Baxter and imported by Croatia's pharmaceutical company Pliva. The government has ordered the administrative boards of the Croatian Public Health Institute and Zagreb's Rebro hospital to immediately relieve their directors of duty and establish possible responsibility of other employees for the tragedy. The administrative boards of other health institutions which reported the deaths last week have been requested to assess the situation and establish possible liability. The boards have been obliged to submit reports on their investigations to the Government and county assemblies within two weeks at the latest. The Government has requested that the Interior Ministry and the State Prosecutor's Office carry out a quick and efficient investigation aimed at collecting evidence and facts leading to establishing the cause of death of the 23 patients, and take adequate action against suspects. Having considered a report by a Health Ministry commission on the tragic incidents, the Government has established that a vast majority of health institutions and workers demonstrated a high level of professionalism although they were faced with a serious crisis situation caused by external factors and the patients' deaths. The Government will help the families of the deceased claim just compensation. (hina) sb rml