Massive inequalities revealed in access to healthcare in the Balkans

11.August

The tragic death of famous Croatian journalist Vladimir Matijanić, aged 50, last Friday in Split revealed the catastrophic state of the health system of the youngest member state of the European Union. Public opinion reacted with fury, not only in Croatia but in neighboring countries. Bosnia Herzegovina, and Serbia. Ordinary citizens from each country, linked by similar problems, shared their painful experiences on social media, showing the similar problems across the region. Each person’s story revealed the terrifying inequities in access to health care.

Although Balkan countries’ constitutions, national laws and other international conventions guarantee equal and timely access to health care for everyone, in reality, the lives of ordinary people sometimes depend on their perseverance or ingenuity, their political orientation, their influence or influence. have someone in power to intervene for them.

Matijanić’s partner, Andrea Topić, published the timeline of the case on her Facebook profile and provided the media with recordings of Vladimir’s phone calls which revealed that he could not access any hospital, even though he had one. desperately needed and had repeatedly requested admission. At one point he complained of being so sick he couldn’t even walk to the toilet – but was told to pee in the potty next to the bed. Andrea also revealed that she offered to bring in a powerful person to mediate, but he flatly refused. Once the system was finally ready to hospitalize him, it was too late.

The Ministry of Health created the body responsible for investigating this matter. Yesterday they announced that the investigation was ongoing and needed to be expanded. The case of Matijanić disclosed several critical points of the system: inappropriate and unprofessional communicationpoor functioning and low efficiency in emergencies and a normalization of the attitude that the protection of a person’s life and health depends on knowing the right people and relationships.

He would probably have survived if he had called on the help of political leaders or religious authorities to ensure hospitalization. The pandemic has made the system even less responsive to ordinary patients.

The public called on the Ministry of Health and the government to step down. However, after the previous resignations, almost nothing has changed. What would be more effective is a deep and comprehensive reform of the health system.

photo by Arsène Togulev