HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' BENCHES DISCUSS HEALTH SYSTEM

ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - During Wednesday's discussion on the Government's Report on the Situation in the Health System from 1995-1998, party benches and a competent committee in the Sabor's Lower House proposed a set of measures to improve the situation in the health system, from "debt collecting" and rationalisation to introducing additional health contributions. The Government's Committee for Labour, Social Policy and Health suggested that the health system be promptly rationalised and that additional budgetary funds for debt-covering be secured. The committee believes that all measures should be taken to collect debts from Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It also believes that financing from various sources and additional insurance should be introduced to ensure long-term solutions for the health system. The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) bench holds that there is no crisis in the health system, but rather its financing. A single financial injection would solve the problem, the party adds. Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) MP's consider the proposed measures superficial. The main priority is debt collecting, the party said, warning that the Government was the largest debtor. The Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) bench suggests forced collecting of debts from debtors, including the state, along with the re-distribution of budget resources to the benefit of health care, and the abolition of the Value Added Tax in the health system. The HSLS sees the solution to the existing problems in the economic recovery of the health system. The main reasons for the poor situation in the health system are centralisation, tolerance of unpaid contributions, transferring of burdens onto the counties, and VAT, Social Democratic Party (SDP) MP's believe. These problems should have been dealt with much earlier, the party said. Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) MP's think that the expert health service is on the level of developed European countries, but that everything else is not. Liberal Party (LS) MP's called for keeping the current level of health care, or even better, the level of health care from 1990. The Croatian People's Party (HNS) and the Istrian Democratic Forum (IDF) pointed out the need to solve the problem of privatisation in the health system. (hina) jn ab/rml