Ivana Kekin, chair of the Croatian Parliament's Committee for Health and Social Policy, has proposed holding an urgent thematic session of the committee regarding the implementation of the Act on Speech Therapy Activities and the accessibility of speech therapy.
The right to operate for private speech therapy practices working as sole proprietorships or commercial companies will cease by law 31 July 2027, if they do not meet the minimum technical conditions by that date. The Ministry currently prescribes minimum technical conditions as temporary, while the final regulation has not been adopted. Health institutions have a three-year deadline for the same conditions.
The Croatian Association of Entrepreneurial Speech Therapists has submitted a series of objections to the Government and the Ministry of Health. According to a survey by the association, 85 per cent of existing service providers cannot meet at least one of the prescribed new technical conditions. Due to the new conditions, 40 per cent of speech therapy clinics could close.
Meeting the new minimum technical conditions would require extensive construction work, often unfeasible in rented premises, or relocation to new spaces. More than 1,500 parents recently addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Health Minister Irena Hrstić regarding the announced new conditions.
If 40 per cent of speech therapy clinics close, more than 7,000 users, mostly children, could be left without timely professional help.
If the HDZ majority of MPs agree to hold the urgent thematic session, representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Croatian Association of Entrepreneurial Speech Therapists will be invited to attend.
