Prof. Gabrić at the Congress on the Future of the Healthcare Industry

The Director of the Svjetlost Special Eye Clinic for Ophthalmology, Prof. Nikica Gabrić, participated in the 2nd Croatian Healthcare Congress, held at the Westin Hotel on October 25, under the theme “The Future of the Healthcare Industry.”

“The public sector will never reform itself without competition, just as the state will never finance private healthcare providers. Healthcare reform is also not being implemented because it would remove those in power from their positions if they failed to meet the required criteria,” Prof. Gabrić said during a panel discussion on the future of Croatian healthcare.

He also argued that reforms fail because there is quiet opposition within public institutions, while directors and ministers often lack business knowledge and do not understand concepts such as assets and balance sheets.

“That is why Svjetlost Eye Clinic does not cooperate with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. This model can be implemented in ophthalmology, but not in more costly medical specialties,” Prof. Gabrić said.

The panel participants agreed that the new administration must find an acceptable and sustainable model for cooperation between the public and private healthcare sectors.