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Emergency Medical Services in Croatia - a country in transition

In Croatia, healthcare and therefore emergency medical services as well are organised based on the principles of comprehensiveness, continuity, availability and an integral approach to emergency medical services. Croatia's geographical characteristics, along with the fact that there are 698 islands, 389 islets and 78 reefs on the Croatian side of the Adriatic, that only 47 islands are inhabited, and that the population is unequally distributed throughout the continental part of the country, are all factors that make the organization of emergency medical services and adherence to the principle of availability difficult. Croatia covers little over 56, 000 square kilometres, has a coastline spanning 1, 778 kilometres and average population density of 77.4 inhabitants per sq. km. Emergency medical services (EMS) in Croatia are provided via EMS centres for around 1, 600, 000 persons or 35% of the overall population. In larger towns and municipalities, specialized EMS units and teams have been established within general outpatient clinics. They provide services to some 2, 350, 000 people or 50% of the overall population. In smaller towns and municipalities EMS is provided through on-duty watch (standby duty) of EMS teams and general medical services. Around 650, 000 inhabitants or 14% of the overall population receive EMS in this way. In regions that are difficult to access and poorly inhabited (some islands, rural areas), emergency medical services are organized through on-call duty assignments of general practitioners (GPs). This type of organization accounts for only around 100, 000 or 2% of the population. However, the area thus covered is quite large and accounts for some 30% of the overall territory of Croatia, according to some estimates. EMS involves pre-hospital and hospital care. Although functionally related, in Croatia the two are still considered as organizationally separate units. Currently Croatia is in the midst of implementing a reform of the EMS system, aimed at achieving the established standards – such as hospital care within an hour from receiving the call. As part of the reform, the Croatian Institute for Emergency Medicine (CIEM) has been established and specializations in emergency medicine set up. The quality and organization of EMS in Croatia are all the more important since Croatia is a popular tourist destination – and thus must ensure that its guests feel safe whilst on vacation.

Emergency medical service; EMS organization; Croatia

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