Opposition seeks probe into public health fund's contracts with private clinic Medikol

Croatia's Možemo! party is pushing for a parliamentary investigation into the financial dealings between the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) and the private Poliklinika Medikol. The party claims there are serious doubts that public interest was adequately protected in contracts that have spanned nearly two decades.

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There are serious doubts that public interest was not protected.

Ivana Kekin, a representative for Možemo!, stated that the investigation should clarify who made decisions regarding contracts with Medikol, on what basis, and in whose interest. She highlighted that Medikol is set to receive 20 million euros this year alone. Kekin questioned why public hospitals have not acquired their own PET/CT machines, noting that each machine costs approximately 2.8 million euros and three are needed. She also raised concerns about the lack of comprehensive records from HZZO detailing the total public funds paid to Medikol since 2007.

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Our task is to determine how the model emerged in which the state became dependent on a private service provider (Medikol).

Further concerns involve the potential for unnecessary radiation exposure for patients undergoing PET/CT scans at Medikol. Kekin pointed out that Croatia lacks national guidelines for the use of these devices, raising questions about whether all patients received scans based on proper medical indications. The party also questions the legal basis for Medikol's continued lease at a public hospital in Rijeka, suggesting the contract lacked necessary ministry approval. These issues arise as Croatia faces high cancer mortality rates and higher-than-average treatment costs within the EU.

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Medikol is being paid 20 million euros this year.