The alarming shortage of cleaners at the Zagreb Clinical Hospital Center (KBC Zagreb), Croatia's largest hospital, has brought a host of accumulated problems to the forefront this summer. From chronic staff shortages and questions of pay equity to concerning improvisations in the healthcare system, warns Tanja Leontić, president of the KBC Zagreb Union, in an interview with Večernji list published on August 18, 2026.
Inspection at Rebro Due to Staff Shortage
Leontić has publicly raised the alarm and called for an inspection at Rebro, the KBC Zagreb site. In the interview with Večernji list, she explains the reasons behind this step, emphasizing that this is not just a story about cleaners, but a deeper societal issue. Moreover, mistakes at a level we often take for granted can prove fatal.
Difference in Responsibility
Leontić encapsulated the key message about pay equity in one sentence: "The same pay cannot apply to cleaning a staircase and cleaning an operating room, which is also a guarantee of patient safety." In doing so, she highlighted that the responsibility and importance of tasks within the same profession vary significantly, and this should be reflected in compensation.
Over Three Decades at KBC Zagreb
Leontić holds a master's degree in medical laboratory diagnostics and has been working at KBC Zagreb for over 34 years. She began her professional career at the Clinical Institute for Laboratory Diagnostics, in the Department for Diagnosis of Inherited Metabolic Diseases and Primary Screening. In recent years, she has actively served as president of the Workers' Council of KBC Zagreb and president of the KBC Zagreb Union.