Protest of doctors and medical staff in Zagreb: Collapse of Croatian healthcare, young people leaving, waiting times up to 600 days for appointments

(Patria) - A large protest of doctors and other medical staff titled "S.O.S. for Croatian Healthcare" will be held in Zagreb on Sunday. The protest is organized by the Croatian Medical Union, the Croatian Medical Chamber, the Croatian Association of Hospital Doctors, the Coordination of Croatian Family Medicine, and the Initiative of Young Doctors.

Today, a leaflet was given to journalists listing the reasons for the protest, as well as 10 facts that speak of the collapse of Croatian healthcare.

- Every third doctor is leaving the country, many immediately after graduating from university

- In more than 50 municipalities on the mainland and islands, there are no primary healthcare doctors

- More and more Croatian hospitals are lacking both specialist doctors and family doctors

- The healthcare system currently lacks 2,000 doctors and 4,000 nurses

- Every third doctor in the system is over 50 years old, and in a few years, there will be no one to treat us

- Patients wait up to 600 days for certain examinations

- Doctors see 80 to 100 patients daily and can only dedicate a few minutes to each

- Doctors spend more than 60 percent of their time on administration daily, while waiting rooms are full

- Doctors are forced to break the law by working an absurd number of overtime hours

- Young doctors are in a particularly difficult situation, bound by slave-like contracts

Protesters will gather at Dr. Franjo Tuđman Square and at 10:45 AM will march along Ilica Street to Ban Jelačić Square. They will continue through Radićeva Street, Strossmayer Promenade, Ćirilometodska Street, and are expected to arrive at St. Mark's Square at 11:30 AM in front of the Croatian Government.