Speaking at a press conference, Anica Prasnjak said on behalf of the union that health and non-health workers had not been properly informed about the planned sale of outpatient facilities and healthcare centres currently operating under concession agreements and that obviously the intention was to sell them against the law.
Nurses account for most of the healthcare staff and deserve information about the possibility of participating in the purchase of these premises, which will be offered only to one category of highly-qualified workers, that is doctors, Prasnjak said.
The sale and transfer of public property to private hands is unacceptable to us, she said.
Statistics show that Croatia has 68,411 health workers, including 32,511 nurses, with 5.6 nurses per 1,000 inhabitants, in comparison with 8.3 in Europe. Nurses earn between 4,000 and 6,000 kuna monthly, including benefits, Prasnjak said.
Union leader Brankica Grguric said that the union would not allow the privatisation of primary healthcare to be decided without nurses.