Published 11.03.2026. | Nina Sauerborn
The protection of patients' rights must not depend on non-transparent procedures and institutional delays.
An analysis of the case of an Osijek doctor, who was not finally convicted of raping a patient in an Osijek hospital, points to serious and long-standing shortcomings in the system of receiving and dealing with patient complaints.
According to media reports and information from the Croatian Association for the Promotion of Patients' Rights, presented in a report on Croatian Radio and Television on September 4, 2024, more than 300 reports or complaints from patients were filed against the Osijek hospital doctor. However, by analyzing the available information, we determined that it is not clear to whom these complaints were addressed, who received them, or whether and how they were acted upon.
The work on this case further pointed to the weaknesses of the existing mechanisms for protecting patients and dealing with complaints. This and similar cases of sexual violence in the health system expose serious structural shortcomings – both in the area of prevention and protection from violence, and in the way in which health institutions and other bodies receive, record and process complaints about the work of their employees. All of us as patients have the legal right to file a complaint if we believe that some of our rights have been violated in relation to the provision of healthcare and ultimately to be informed about the progress of that procedure.
In this specific case, it has been confirmed by several sources that complaints existed, but it remains unclear who received them, to whom they were forwarded, and whether appropriate procedures were initiated and implemented. The reporting system has proven to be insufficiently transparent and accessible, which is why patients often do not know who to contact or how to effectively protect their rights.
Therefore, we continue to investigate the existing weaknesses in the patient complaints system, identifying shortcomings in transparency and efficiency, and developing specific recommendations for strengthening reporting mechanisms, institutional accountability, and effective protection of the rights of all participants in the healthcare system.
Our goal is to ensure that every complaint is recorded, forwarded to the competent authorities in a timely manner, and processed in accordance with clear and transparent procedures, with real institutional accountability.
The patient protection system must be clear, transparent and primarily focused on the safety, dignity and protection of patients' rights.
We thank the SOLIDARNA Foundation for its support.
"The project is supported by the SOLIDARNA Foundation through the Women's Fund"
