For EU tourists and domestic tourists, additional teams have been arranged in health centers for the first time this summer, contracted with HZZO (Croatian Health Insurance Fund), where everyone can receive healthcare services, prescriptions, and referrals covered by their health insurance. This is currently available at 36 locations.

Counties and health centers have so far secured staff for 36 teams out of a total of 51 teams contracted with HZZO, and they are expected to operate until September 30th.

According to Marko Rađa, director of the Health Center of Split-Dalmatia County, tourist clinics are currently operating in Supetar, Split, Trogir, and Makarska, with a clinic expected to start operating in Hvar this weekend.

He added that the clinic in Split, which has two teams, operates on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in one shift, and on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in two shifts. The clinic in Supetar operates from Wednesday to Sunday, and efforts are made to cover weekends at all locations since family medicine clinics do not operate then.

All domestic tourists can use HZZO health cards, while tourists from the EU and other countries such as Iceland, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland can use the European Health Insurance Card.

An additional temporary team, consisting of a doctor and a nurse, has been working since July 1st in Novalja on the island of Pag, near Zrće beach, a popular gathering spot for young people. The director of the health center, Zoran Vidas, told Hina that they have gained a lot from this as it will reduce the pressure on other family medicine offices.

“Tourist clinics were previously not contracted with HZZO, and services were charged. With this, we have gained a lot, primarily reducing the crowds and pressure on contracted offices where tourists went to avoid paying for a service,” said Vidas.

Vidas mentioned that they know they can have over 100 patients in one shift during the peak season, and now he expects an additional increase.

The additional team will work every day except Thursday, which is when the pressure is lowest based on their experience, and on holidays. Vidas also noted that they have had a special point with a team taking care of patients from Zrće for three years now.

Ten teams distributed across five tourist clinics in Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula, and Labin will be available until September 15th to numerous tourists in the Istria County area. The number of people there doubles every summer, with up to 400,000 people daily.

In the Istrian health centers, it is noted that tourists often seek medical help, causing large crowds in the emergency hospital admissions of Pula hospital.

“In the peak season, almost 600,000 tourists are in Istria, which poses a significant burden on the healthcare system, both for the Istrian health centers and the General Hospital Pula,” said the director of the Istrian health centers, Dr. Nikola Žgrablić.

Gordana Antić, head of the Department of Health and Social Care of the Istria County, emphasized that HZZO ensures free examinations, but not the salaries of doctors working with tourists, so they are provided from local funds, specifically from the tourist tax.

She added that previously there was a problem because tourist clinics existed but charged for services, so everyone went where they didn’t have to pay, namely to family doctors. This part is now better resolved and is a significant step towards relieving family doctors and emergency services.