Increased number of additional teams for tourist health care

The number of additional teams in health centers for tourist health care has increased, and in the period from April 1 to December 31, these teams will be active at 56 locations, the Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday.

The teams will provide tourists with basic medical services, including issuing prescriptions for medicines and referrals for urgent medical examinations, all at the expense of their insurers.

Services are also provided free of charge to persons with rights from the HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance Fund) system, as well as to users of health insurance based on European Union regulations and international agreements.

Faster health care

This makes health care even faster, more accessible and more efficient, providing stronger support to both foreign and domestic guests, the Ministry of Health emphasized, recalling that last year such teams operated at 37 locations.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports jointly invested more than 600,000 euros for the equipment and operation of the additional teams. The initiative is the result of cooperation between the Ministry of Health, the HZZO, counties and health centers.

Health care for tourists in health centers will be organized in Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Osijek-Baranja and Bjelovar-Bilogora counties.

According to HZZO data, by the beginning of July, 1,158 tourist visits to additional teams were recorded, with the highest number recorded in Pula, Poreč, Umag, Novalja, Tisno and Vodice.

Last year, the additional team model recorded more than 26,500 visits and significantly reduced the workload of primary health care offices, emergency medical services and hospital emergency rooms, according to the Ministry.

“With the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS), emergency medical boats, mobile pharmacies and reinforced additional teams in health centers, Croatia is certainly one of the safer tourist destinations in the European Union,” said Minister of Health Irena Hrstić.

Source: HRT