Croatian hospital doctors face unequal access to health screenings

A study by the Croatian Association of Hospital Physicians (HUBOL) reveals that approximately 1,800 hospital doctors and 9,000 clinical staff members in Croatia are being denied their right to systematic health check-ups, despite these being guaranteed by collective agreements.

While the number of hospitals organizing such screenings has increased from 13 in 2022 to 33 today, significant regional disparities remain. Major institutions such as KBC Osijek, KBC Split, and Zagreb’s Merkur Clinical Hospital have not yet implemented these programs. KBC Osijek and Split cited the difficulty of allocating additional staff, space, and time due to existing workload pressures.

In contrast, the General Hospital Pula has successfully organized screenings on Saturdays over the last two years. Hospital director Andrej Angelini reported that about half of the 1,450 employees have participated, noting that the process has already identified several serious diagnoses, allowing for immediate medical intervention.