August 11, 2022

Mass inequality exposed in Balkan healthcare access

topic:	Health and Sanitation
located:	Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia
editor:	Katarina Panić

The tragic death of the well-known Croatian journalist Vladimir Matijanić, aged 50, last Friday in Split revealed the catastrophic state of the healthcare system in the youngest European Union member-state. The public reacted furiously, not only in Croatia but in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. The ordinary people of each country, connected by similar issues, shared their painful experiences on social networks, showing the similar problems in the whole region. Each person’s story exposed the terrifying inequality regarding access to healthcare.

Although the Balkan countries’ constitutions, national laws and other international conventions guarantee everyone equal and timely access to health care, in reality ordinary peoples’ lives sometimes depend on how persistent or resourceful one is, what their political orientation is, whether they are influential or have someone in power to interfere for them.

Matijanić’s partner, Andrea Topić, published the case chronology on her Facebook profile and provided the media with Vladimir’s phone-call records that revealed he could not access any hospital, although he desperately needed to and had repeatedly asked to be admitted. At one point he complained he was so sick that he could not even walk to the toilet - but he was told to pee in the pot next to the bed. Andrea also revealed that she proposed reaching out to someone powerful to mediate, but he had categorically refused that. Once the system was finally ready to hospitalise him, it was too late.  

The health ministry formed the body to investigate the case. Yesterday, they announced the investigation is ongoing and needs to be expanded. Matijanić’s case divulged several critical points in the system: inappropriate and unprofessional communication, poor functioning and low efficiency in cases of emergency and a normalisation of the attitude that the protection of one’s life and health depends on knowing the right people and having the right connections. 

He would have probably survived if he had called for help from politicians or religious authorities to provide him with hospitalisation. The pandemic made the system even less responsive to ordinary patients.

The public asked the health ministry and government to step down. However, after the previous resignations, hardly anything changed. What would be more effective is a deep and comprehensive reform of the healthcare system. 

Photo by Arseny Togulev

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