Health Ministry Denies Kekin's Claims of Withheld Information on Medikol Contracts

The Croatian Ministry of Health has strongly refuted allegations made by Ivana Kekin, the chairwoman of the parliamentary Committee on Health, accusing her of spreading untruths about the withholding of information. Kekin had claimed that the Ministry and KBC Rijeka were not providing requested documents concerning contracts between the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), Medikol Polyclinic, and hospitals.

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It is inappropriate for the chairwoman of the parliamentary Committee on Health to publicly claim that the Ministry and other public institutions (hospitals) are withholding information, even though she has been regularly requesting and receiving documentation on contracts between HZZO, Medikol Polyclinic, and hospital institutions since March; this claim is untrue.

The Ministry countered that it has been consistently providing Kekin with the necessary documentation since March. They criticized her public statements as politically motivated and an attempt at manipulation, rather than a genuine contribution to transparency. The Ministry pointed out that Kekin had not convened any committee sessions to discuss the data she had requested and received.

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It is unacceptable to draw conclusions and make accusations in advance before the competent authority provides an official statement. Such conduct does not contribute to transparency, but exclusively to political manipulation.

Furthermore, the Ministry emphasized that Kekin's accusations lack factual and legal basis, as she has not reported any irregularities despite having access to the documents. They also confirmed that the lease agreement for space at KBC Rijeka to Medikol Polyclinic was issued in compliance with regulations and that all decisions were made transparently within the Ministry's authority. Kekin had previously alleged that the Medikol arrangement in Rijeka was suspicious from the start, citing a 2009-2010 State Audit report that found Medikol occupied KBC space without a public tender and that Ministry consent was missing after the initial contract expired in 2020.

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Instead of using the information within the institution she chairs, the representative is using it for political appearances and media campaigns in her capacity as a representative of the Možemo! platform!