During his stay in Hvar, the Minister of Health, Associate Professor Dr. Vili Beroš, MD, visited the additional team of the Split-Dalmatia County Health Center, which provides healthcare services in the city of Hvar.

The Minister had the opportunity to speak with the present colleagues and listen to their suggestions for improving the work of tourist clinics in the upcoming tourist season. The goal is for this project to be even more effective in the future, allowing for the provision of quality healthcare to all tourists visiting Hvar.

The additional team in Hvar began work on July 15 and will continue until the end of August. So far, this team has provided medical assistance to more than 136 tourists, most of whom, 60% to be precise, were domestic tourists.

Organization of Tourist Clinics in Croatia
Due to the large number of tourists, especially during the summer months, the Ministry of Health passed a law amending the Health Care Act. This law enables the formation of additional, temporary teams in health centers throughout Croatia, including counties such as Istria, Primorje-Gorski Kotar, Lika-Senj, Zadar, Šibenik-Knin, Split-Dalmatia, Dubrovnik-Neretva, Osijek-Baranja, and Bjelovar-Bilogora. These teams provide healthcare services at a total of 37 locations. By the end of July, 8,000 visits to these teams were recorded, demonstrating how crucial these teams are in ensuring healthcare for tourists.

Helicopter and Maritime Emergency Medical Service
In addition to forming additional teams, the Ministry of Health has also established a helicopter emergency medical service, which has so far conducted 491 flights, with the base in Split handling 238 interventions. The helicopter emergency medical service is vital for ensuring quick medical assistance in situations where time is a critical factor. Additionally, the maritime emergency medical service, which includes fast boats, had 295 interventions, significantly contributing to the safety of tourists along the Croatian coast.

The Importance of Healthcare Services for Croatian Tourism
Tourism is one of the most important economic sectors in Croatia, and providing quality healthcare to tourists has become one of the key priorities. The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, is working intensively to ensure that Croatia is recognized as one of the safest tourist destinations in the world. Minister Beroš particularly emphasized the importance of the dedicated work of all healthcare workers, with a focus on primary healthcare physicians, who bear the greatest burden of providing care to tourists.

Along with Minister Beroš, the visit to the additional team in Hvar was attended by the Mayor of Hvar, Rikardo Novak, the Director of the Tourist Board Ivana Belaj Šantić, the Head of the Department of Radiological Diagnostics Mr.Sc. Dino Carić, MD, and the Head of the Nursing Department Dalia Meštrović, BScN, from the Split-Dalmatia County Health Center.