May 31st, 2021 - The Croatian parliament starts its session on Tuesday this week because the Feast of Corpus Christi is observed on Thursday. It will discuss the proposal of 41 opposition MPs for a vote of no confidence in Health Minister Vili Beroš.
The opposition says the reasons for that include the accumulated problems, the lack of an effective and transparent vaccination system, the avoidance of public procurement, corruption, and the theft of public money during the COVID pandemic to benefit close associates Minister Beroš.
"The reasons for this move are clear to all citizens - the accumulated debts in the healthcare system resulted in the suspension of deliveries of medicines to hospitals at the height of the pandemic. There are also huge problems with the vaccination system, and we have learned of favorable treatment in the development of the cijepise.hr vaccination registration system," Peđa Grbin of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said in early May, explaining the reason for filing a joint motion for a no-confidence vote, signed by all opposition groups in parliament except the Croatian Sovereignists, who announced, however, that they would vote in favor of Beroš's resignation.
Grbin also said that the Ministry of Health "simply isn't functioning," and there were no reforms.
Beroš must leave, but that is not enough, and after he leaves, we must all work together to address the accumulated problems in the health system, Grbin said.
The government rejected the opposition's claims, saying that there are no grounds for a vote of no confidence in Beroš, and proposed to the parliament to reject the proposed decision on the no-confidence vote.
The government stressed that since the COVID outbreak, the health system had to deal with circumstances it had not experienced since the Homeland War, but it "stayed on its feet."
It rejected the opposition's claims on financing the health system, organizing the vaccination system, the public procurement, and claims related to the www.koronavirus.hr website and the procurement of advisory services.
The government said that the reform measures should establish a better, more efficient, and more flexible organizational structure and health system management.
On Wednesday, the parliament will discuss a report on the work of the State Audit Office for 2020; it will vote at noon and then conclude this week's work.
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