President Milanović: The more time goes on, the more there is a need to speak the truth about the Homeland War
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met today with representatives of the Croatian Association of Nurses/Medical Technicians and other healthcare workers in the Homeland War (Hrvatska udruga medicinskih sestara/tehničara i drugih radnika u zdravstvu Domovinskog rata), association founded last year with the aim of promoting the contribution of medical employees in caring for Croatian defenders and all victims of the Homeland War.
Representatives of the Croatian Association of Nurses/Medical Technicians and other healthcare workers in the Homeland War – president Ljerka Pavković, vice-president Ruža Uremović and member of the Honour Court Antun Ante Arić – explained to President Milanović the reasons for founding the Association, saying that their intention is to lend strong support and protection to all nurses/medical technicians and other healthcare workers in the Homeland War for achieving their deserved status and legal right, and to develop and organize forms of healthcare for Association members.
Furthermore, in terms of the goals of the Association’s activities, they emphasized promoting the truth about the Homeland War through written personal testimonies, holding expert conferences, educating pupils and students on the Homeland War. Planned activities include observing important Homeland War events, cooperating with Homeland War associations and other institutions, and erecting memorials at healthcare institutions and hospitals, which played an important role in caring for and treating defenders.
President Milanović supports the Association’s activities, particularly the wish to promote the truth about the Homeland War. “The more time goes on, the more there are reasons and the need to speak the truth about the Homeland War. Unfortunately, today there are ever more false claims about this truth because everyone is looking at their personal interests. Therefore it is an imperative to resist such lies in order to speak the truth, I welcome what you are doing”, President Milanović stated among others.
In the Homeland War 5,374 healthcare workers received the status of Croatian defender, including 795 physicians and other healthcare workers with a university degree, 228 nurses and medical technicians, 56 auxiliary healthcare workers, and 1,295 other healthcare workers. Today, based on The Law on the Croatian Defenders of the Homeland War and Members of their Families (Zakon o hrvatskim braniteljima iz Domovinskog rata I članovima njihovih obitelji) healthcare workers can exclusively receive the status of participant of the Homeland War, which does not imply material rights.
Alongside President Milanović at the meeting was the Special Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans Marijan Mareković.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta