ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The aim of the forthcoming public health reform in Croatia is to re-examine the use of the existing resources in this field and to make it possible for the entire system to be more efficient so that the health
and medical services can be available and equal to everybody, Croatia's Health Minister Ana Stavljenic Rukavina told reporters on Tuesday. Presenting the reform at a news briefing, she said it consisted of 14 chief projects. Most of them will start soon and will be carried out in two to three years, whereas the rest will ensue subsequently. The Ministry's intention is to inform health insurance holders about the reform and that's why the media will be regularly notified of each stage in this job, the Minister said. The reform will commence with a pilot project in Koprivnica-Krizevci County. The project will start after the selection of a consultancy firm which should conduct it. Minister
ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The aim of the forthcoming public health
reform in Croatia is to re-examine the use of the existing resources
in this field and to make it possible for the entire system to be
more efficient so that the health and medical services can be
available and equal to everybody, Croatia's Health Minister Ana
Stavljenic Rukavina told reporters on Tuesday.
Presenting the reform at a news briefing, she said it consisted of
14 chief projects. Most of them will start soon and will be carried
out in two to three years, whereas the rest will ensue
subsequently.
The Ministry's intention is to inform health insurance holders
about the reform and that's why the media will be regularly notified
of each stage in this job, the Minister said.
The reform will commence with a pilot project in Koprivnica-
Krizevci County. The project will start after the selection of a
consultancy firm which should conduct it.
Minister Stavljenic Rukavina said that following the financial
consolidation of the health system with all debts settled in the
past period, the next job would be to define the package of basic
health services, re-organise primary health care and hospital
treatment, change ways of the payment for health services and plan
capacities of health care institutions.
The next health care system should have a mixed model of insurance
comprising both the private and state-run health insurance funds.
The system envisages that the biggest number of services can be
offered within primary health care. Besides, hospitals will
undergo through changes.
Deputy Health Minister Rajko Ostojic said that in past six months
the Government managed to settle 4.2 billion kuna of debts
(approximately over one billion German marks) it inherited from the
former authorities. However, unregistered debts come to tens of
billions kuna, Ostojic added.
He informed that to date 40 million kuna (10 million German marks)
had been spent for the provision of the diagnostic equipment.
The head of the pilot-project in Koprivnica-Krizevci County, Stipe
Oreskovic, said the project was financially assisted by the World
Bank and in the coming year 15 million US dollars would be allocated
for the provision of new equipment in two cardiologic laboratories
($10 million), for equipment for the emergency ward at 23 hospitals
and for communications devices.
(hina) ms