Through enhanced sick leave controls, HZZO inspectors discovered approximately 1,000 workers on false sick leave in the first six months, reducing the sick leave rate to 3.07, thus bringing it within the limits agreed upon with primary healthcare physicians. Only Zagreb, Gospić, Bjelovar, and Pazin remained above these limits, with a sick leave rate of 3.3 or higher, while in Rijeka, compared to the same period last year, the rate decreased from 3.16 to 2.97.
In the search for workers on unjustified sick leave, inspections were conducted in 1,182 practices, and in 4.5 percent of cases, the sick leaves were not justified, writes Novi list. A total of 16,796 workers on sick leave were reviewed, and 748 were immediately terminated by inspectors.
An additional 2,300 inspections were conducted at the request of employers, resulting in the discovery of 267 “fakes” whose sick leaves were also immediately concluded.
In the first half of 2013, HZZO conducted 2,500 inspections, mostly in general and dental medicine practices, with 153 inspections carried out in hospitals and other institutions. In an average of every fourth inspection, a breach of contractual obligations was identified, and a total of 614 monetary and other sanctions were imposed, including seven contract terminations.
Due to penalties for false sick leaves, double billing, and misappropriation of budget funds, HZZO collected a total of 1.3 million kuna in six months. Inspectors issued 322 warnings with damage claims totaling 849,109 kuna, 64 warnings with monetary fines totaling 444,096 kuna, 10 warnings with monetary fines and damage claims totaling 37,556 kuna, seven warnings prior to contract termination, and initiated as many procedures for contract termination.
