By: Edvard Kadič
In our younger years, health issues seem distant, almost insignificant. We are full of energy, plans, and ambitions, and we take our health for granted. We think we will always remain this vital, and we attribute illness and ailments to others, to older generations. But then the years bring their own changes, and we find ourselves, often unwillingly, in a position where healthcare becomes one of our main concerns. Suddenly, we realise that our bodies are no longer as resilient. We realise that while we can still do everything we used to, we now need significantly more time to recover. Out of nowhere, pains that were never there before start to appear, and visits to the doctor become a part of everyday life.
We experience firsthand the problem of long waiting lists, forcing us to wait months, sometimes even years, for medical appointments. When we need a specialist consultation or surgery, we face a wall of bureaucracy and staff shortages. Meanwhile, healthcare professionals from public hospitals are increasingly moving elsewhere, either to the private sector or abroad, where working conditions are better. Who will take care of us when we need help?
While the world around us is advancing technologically at lightning speed, including in the quality of patient care, our corridors are filling with more patients waiting for help, and the facilities are becoming overcrowded and less suitable. In such conditions, it is difficult to provide the high-quality healthcare that all citizens deserve.
It is also concerning that instead of addressing these pressing issues, the current government is focusing on an ideological battle against private healthcare providers. Instead of improving the conditions in the healthcare system, they are passing legal amendments that restrict the work of healthcare workers and concession holders. It seems that establishing control over the system is more important than ensuring it functions for the benefit of the patients.
One such measure is limiting the work of public healthcare employees in the private sector. I do not understand why doctors and nurses should be prevented from earning extra income and gaining experience in the private sector. It is not just about money. Such work can improve their practice, allow them to learn new methods and technologies, and bring that knowledge back into the public sector. Instead, they are being offered the option of additional work in public institutions through less-taxed temporary contracts. How will this impact the quality of care and their own health?
The conditions for working with concessionaires have also become stricter. Employees will only be able to request work with concessionaires or other public institutions if their primary institution has met its programme requirements and if they do not refuse overtime in the public institution. Would it not be better to allow flexibility that benefits both healthcare staff and patients? The regulation of concessionary work with the requirement for regularly employed healthcare workers seems reasonable at first glance. However, this could mean that smaller concessionaires, who cannot afford regular employment, will no longer be able to operate. This will decrease (!) rather than increase the accessibility of healthcare services for patients who are already waiting long for treatment. Should we not be encouraging various forms of healthcare services to help alleviate the system?
The elderly naturally want an accessible, efficient, and high-quality healthcare system, for which they have paid all their lives. Instead of ideological battles, one would expect the government to focus on solving real problems: reducing waiting times, improving working conditions for healthcare workers, modernising equipment and infrastructure – rather than doing the opposite. We need a system that attracts and retains the best talent, not drives them away.
Healthcare is not an area where we can afford systematic mistakes or delays. Every day of waiting can be fatal for someone. It is high time that politics steps aside from healthcare and leaves room for experts and the needs of citizens. Health is not and must not be an ideological issue. It is a fundamental right and need of every individual, and we cannot compromise on this, not even by a millimetre. Given the proposed amendment to the Health Care Act, it seems that the current government does not understand this. They simply do not understand, and there is no indication that anything will change anytime soon.