During June, 1,027 staff members at the Split University Hospital were on sick leave, including 420 nurses and 177 doctors, according to data from the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) first reported by Slobodna Dalmacija.
This represents one in four employees at the second-largest hospital in Croatia, a figure reached during the peak tourist season, when pressure on the healthcare system in Dalmatia is at its highest.
Minister for Health Irena Hrstić stated that she had learned of the situation from the media and that she would not draw conclusions about potential abuse without detailed data. "I would not like to say that someone is using sick leave for other purposes without having concrete evidence, as that would certainly not be in line with the Labour Act. If one is on sick leave, it means one is on sick leave due to illness," Hrstić said, as reported by N1.
The minister cited control of sick leave as the primary measure in such situations, which is conducted by the HZZO. She noted, however, that controls could not be conducted simultaneously across multiple healthcare institutions.
Hrstić also recalled her own experience at the General Hospital in Pula, where she had served as director for ten years. There, she said, she had observed periods with an increased number of sick leave cases.
