Dr Željko Plazonić is State Secretary of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia. He holds an MD degree with a specialty in internal medicine and subspecialty in cardiology from the University of Rijeka and has completed postgraduate studies in clinical pathophysiology. Prior to assuming his duty at the Ministry of Health, Dr Plazonić was Coordinator of endovascular medicine at the Clinical hospital Rijeka, Head of Department of Invasive and Interventional Cardiology (Clinic for Internal Medicine), Head of Department of Cardiology Laboratory (Internal Clinic Sušak), Head of Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology, and Head of Cardiology Department III. As one of the pioneers of heart surgery innovation in Croatia, Dr Plazonić performed many surgery procedures within his field of expertise, and published numerous scientific and professional papers, articles and summaries in internationally indexed periodicals.
