Eight specialist radiologists from the Clinical Hospital Centre Sisters of Mercy (KBC Sestre milosrdnice) have submitted requests to terminate their employment following the reappointment of Dijana Zadravec as head of the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. Among those leaving is Jana Fila from the Oncology Clinic, who stated that she and her colleagues do not wish to work in fear.
"Working with such patients is very stressful, and we do not want to also work in fear that someone is ruling us aggressively," Fila said. She added that they want to be led under adequate conditions and with good interpersonal relationships. She warned that such relationships are impossible under Zadravec's leadership and that the doctors do not want to go through the situation again that led to Zadravec's dismissal five years ago.
In addition to six radiologists from the Oncology Clinic, where the most severe oncology patients are treated, two specialists in aneurysms and strokes have also resigned. "It is not difficult, but impossible, to replace them," Fila emphasised. "Everyone must be aware that patients with acute life-threatening conditions, such as strokes and aneurysm ruptures, will not have adequate care," she added.
The hospital management confirmed in a statement that the doctors had informed them of potential problems, but they claim that patient healthcare is not at risk. The Clinical Hospital Centre stated that the hospital employs a total of 43 specialist radiologists and 16 residents, and that the Oncology Clinic is operating regularly, with all diagnostic and therapeutic procedures currently proceeding according to plan. The management does not wish to comment on the details of the tender while the appeal period is ongoing, which, according to Health Minister Irene Hrstić, expires on 10 November.
Hrstić stated that the hospital management is continuously in dialogue with the doctors who announced their departure, attempting to find a solution. She emphasised that patients' access, quality and continuity of healthcare must not be compromised. She expects that open questions will be answered after the appeal period expires. When asked about the reasons for the cancellation of the first tender, she replied that the tender was conducted at the level of the healthcare institution and that all issues fall within the hospital's scope of work.
Patient associations and the Croatian Medical Chamber expressed concern over the possible departure of radiologists. The Chamber warned that the loss of experienced and highly specialised doctors could jeopardise timely diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant diseases and those with strokes. It requested urgent measures from the hospital management and the Ministry of Health to prevent the doctors' departure and ensure continuity of healthcare, reminding that it had warned in 2021 about serious management problems and damaged interpersonal relationships at the Department.
Ivana Šmit, president of the Croatian Hospital Association (HUBOL), asked: "If you were the owner of a private clinic and had fired a person who had bullied your employees, would you rehire them for the same job?"
Zadravec's reappointment followed the cancellation of a tender in July this year, in which the selection committee had chosen Professor Gordana Ivanac. A new tender was announced in August, in which Zadravec was selected as head, according to media reports. Zadravec had previously headed the Department, from which she was dismissed in May 2021 due to severely damaged interpersonal relationships and staff departures, as explained by the hospital management at the time. Her dismissal was preceded by complaints about alleged bullying, and according to media reports at the time, 17 oncology radiology staff signed a complaint regarding Zadravec's conduct. Zadravec rejected the accusations, claiming it was an organised attack on her.
During the first affair in 2021, Zadravec claimed she was being dismissed because she had pointed out corruption in the hospital and healthcare system. A secretly recorded video of her conversation with then-Minister Vilij Beroš was released to the public, in which she also mentioned Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. "I pointed out to him the illegality of my dismissal and the criminal acts in the Clinical Hospital Centre," Zadravec stated at the time.
Dijana Zadravec spoke publicly for the first time after days of media reports on the resignations of the eight radiologists, doing so on Facebook on Thursday evening. The post, titled "On the seriousness of the resignation statement", questioned the seriousness of the radiologists' intention to leave the hospital. "Perhaps it is useful to consider now whether anyone, who receives two ministerial salaries monthly, would leave their job and actually resign?" Zadravec wrote. She was not available for comment.
The doctors who resigned are receiving new business offers. "Our goal is not to leave public healthcare, but to stay here," Fila said. "We radiologists are in a position where we can choose a less stressful and better-paid job. Just yesterday, after resigning, I received four offers. But our main goal is to stay in the public system; patients are our top priority," she added.
After Tuesday, when the appeal period expires, the management's decision will be known. The same hospital previously employed former Minister Vilij Beroš, whom the State Office for the Prevention of Corruption (USKOK) charges with enabling the purchase of overpriced microscopes for that Clinical Hospital Centre.
