May 17, 2020 - In the absence of clear travel information, TCN visits the Croatia Slovenia border to find who is - and who is not - allowed to cross the border into Croatia. It was an illuminating visit. 

 Are Croatia's borders open or not? If yes, who can cross them, and under what circumstances? With so many tourists wanting to come, can they jump in the car and come?

After Croatia led the world in clear communication on the health aspects of the corona threat, that clarity seems a distant memory. Stories of foreign tourists entering the country are flooding the media, and it seems that the season is starting. But is it?

Here is the official COVID-19 page from the Ministry of Tourism which one would hope would provide the answer. If you can find it, you are a better man than me. 

According to the Croatian National Tourist Board recently revamped travel info page, all the answers can be found at a very helpful email address. Insider tip - good luck with that one from personal experience.  

Here is some useful info from Croatian Roads (HAK), but with all those specific questions resting on the Ministry of Tourism responding to an email.  

I am still trying to find out the actual procedure for crossing the border. As my colleague patiently waited for the email reply (now Day 4), I concluded that there was nothing better than finding out from personal experience. 

Why not go to the Croatia Slovenia border myself and see what is happening. As these are sensitive times, I contacted the Ministry of the Interior of both Croatia and Slovenia, stating my intentions and asking for their assistance. 

Croatia 1, Slovenia 0. 

I received an automated response from the Slovenians the next day (in Slovenian). I have heard nothing since. From the Croatian side, I received this:

Dear Sir,

we agree with the recording at the said border crossing, without statements from police officers and other officials.

Please comply with the Law on State Border Surveillance, follow the instructions of police officers and keep your stay at the border crossing to a minimum.

The same is necessary for the smooth implementation of measures and actions carried out at the border crossing.

We also confirm that we have received your inquiry sent to us on 15th of May 2020., and we inform you that we will send you an answer when we gather all the necessary information.
 
Best regards,

There are three border crossings just outside Zagreb around Bregana, and I decided to visit all three, the two small ones first. 

The first was quiet, with just a few cars coming from the Slovenian side. The Croatian border official was polite and let me proceed to her Slovenian colleague, who declined to answer questions as I didn't have a Slovenian official approval. 

There were a couple of Slovenian bikers who were happy to talk to me. This was not their first time across the border. They had a business in the next village, all the appropriate paperwork, so the crossing was problem-free. Get the necessary paperwork, an invitation from a Croatian business, for example, and all is fine. 

I was planning to film a video report but I now how sensitive the police are about filming at borders. Ok, true story - I left my phone charger in Dugopolje and my phone died. 

I did get a copy of the recommendations (and in English!) for each tourist arriving. You can see the advice at the bottom of this article. 

Next up, the best Croatia Slovenia border of them all (if you really want to research the subject, here is the Total Croatia guide to crossing the Croatia Slovenia border in normal times).

Before the migrant crisis, this border had one of the coolest border restaurants ever - the bar was in one country,  the toilets in the other. Imagine having to leave the Schengen zone to pee!

The restaurant is now closed for normal service, but it does still service groups, the owner told us through the gate today. But the erection of the wire and gate during the migrant crisis killed all business. The border is normally open from 0600 - 2300, but has been closed these past few weeks - and remains so.

I introduced myself to the Croatian police, who were very polite, helpful and efficient. My documents checked, I was free to observe and to talk to people travelling both ways. I really liked thes happy Slovenians, who had been following the local news and got everything in place regarding paperwork. They were off to a campsite on Krk where their family had a property, and they made sure they had an official invitation, with a stamp for good measure. 

Now that the borders in Slovenia are open, they did not have to worry about self-isolation on return. This is an issue which people are asking about. Until I get official answers, all I can say is talk to your embassy about the latest info, both incoming to Croatia and when you return home. They will have the best (and official) info. 

There were lots of foreign plates, mostly German, but few foreigners. The Croatian diaspora returning home from Germany, Austria, Holland. A Montenegrin living in Munich, who has been going back and forth for weeks.  

Processing time was about 5 minutes per car, but this was the process that reassured me. For the word in Croatia is that the borders are open, which is great news for tourism. But it would be highly irresponsible to simply let everyone in without knowing where they are going. 

And not everyone is getting in.

Currently, you can pass the border as an EU citizen if you have an official business invite, own real estate, or can prove a tourism reservation in a hotel or similar. 

And if you can't, you don't come in. 

The idea, I realised, is the ability to control the information in case of trouble. 

The transit process (and PLEASE note, this is just the Croatian border, I did not get permission for the Slovenian one, is that you can rock up at the border, show your ID and certified reservation or business invite, or real estate papers, and be allowed in. They will want to know how long you will stay,  address and your contact details, as well as physically showing your invitation. The registration process is a swipe of your ID, but then the time-consuming process of manually adding details of your invitation, contact details etc. Necessary but time-consuming. 

By controlling the whereabouts of tourists who enter, it seems, this is how Croatia will control the corona threat. And not everyone gets in... 

My favourite moment was the pre-crossing chat with a Slovenian guy from a local town.  He winked and told me he was off to see his Croatian mistress for lunch and a bit of fun.  Unfortunately, his illicit lover was left a little frustrated, as they both forgot to sort the official invite (presumably the wife might have found out).  No entry.  

Two very jolly Slovenian ladies of a certain age were thrilled to be able to get to their beloved Adriatic. They had no plans, the borders were open and they would decide where when they felt like it. No entry.  

A Croat from Germany with a business meeting to attend in Zagreb. The invite consisted of an email. After a long discussion (and some phone calls), he was allowed through. Lesson learned and top recommendation - get a proper, stamped invitation. It will save time for you and all behind you, and will eliminate the risk of refusal. 

And that's as much as I can tell you, as someone not part of the system. 

Check before you travel, make sure you have the documentation ready, and you should be fine.

Recommendations and instructions of the Croatian Institute of Public Health. 

Croatian and foreign nationals entering the Republic of Croatia must comply with these recommendations and instructions in the period of 14 days following their crossing of the state border, as follows: 

During the first 14 days following the entry into the Republic of Croatia, accommodation may be left only in absolutely necessary situations: 

carrying out business activities if business was the purpose of entry into the Republic of Croatia, carrying out necessary activities with continuous increased hygiene measures in place. 

When leaving accommodation in absolutely necessary situations, it is recommended to wear a mask or a covering for the nose and mouth, to keep a physical distance from others (a minimum of 1.5 meters) and to practice hand hygiene. 

Hands should be washed as often as possible with warm water and soap and/or a hand disinfectant should be used that needs to be well rubbed on the palms. 

Touching one's face, mouth, nose and eyes should be avoided. 

Using public transport should be avoided. 

ln the means of transport, a person should preferably be alone or exclusively with persons with whom he/she shares accommodation. 

Grouping and public gatherings should be consistently avoided. 

During business meetings, it is necessary to meet with as few persons as possible, to ensure a physical distance of 1.5 meters and availability of disinfectants, to avoid unnecessary meetings. 

During their stay in the accommodation, the persons concerned prepare the food themselves or use food and beverage delivery services. 

Payments are made by using non-cash card payments or online services. 

Body temperature should be measured every morning. lf it exceeds 37.2 degrees, it should be taken again after 10 minutes. lf the temperature again exceeds 37.2 degrees, the person should stay at home/one's accommodation and contact the chosen general practitioner, 

if any (Croatian nationals), or a competent local epidemiologist. 

ln case of any symptoms of acute respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, high temperature, short breath/difficulty in breathing,  loss of smell and taste), it is necessary to stay at home/your accommodation and contact the chosen general practitioner, if any (Croatian nationals), or a competent local epidemiologist. 

ln case of sudden onset of severe, life-threatening symptoms, the person should contact the emergency medical services. 

ln case of respiratory disease symptoms. 

lf you develop respiratory disease symptoms (high temperature, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, sore throat, weakness), you should contact your chosen doctor by phone who will, based on your medical condition, assess the need for you to be tested for the new coronavirus. 

lf you require medical assistance for reasons other than a respiratory disease, you should phone your chosen doctor or one of the members of your household can contact the doctor for consultations and arranging a house call. 

Do not visit healthcare facilities without having previously contacted them by phone. 

You can find more information on the coronavirus disease and measures for reducing the risk of spreading the disease on the website of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, or from your chosen general practitioner and a competent local epidemiologist.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2020 - A coalition between the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) would not be possible even in the worst of nightmares, SDP leader Davor Bernardic said on Sunday, noting that the HDZ was staying in power thanks to political trade-offs.

"There can be no coalition with the party that is being tried for corruption, whose government lost 11 ministers due to suspected corruption and which has been staying in power thanks to political trade-offs in the parliament. A coalition with the HDZ would not be possible even in the worst of nightmares," Bernardic said during a visit to Varazdin.

His statement was a response to a reporter's question if SDP member Branko Grcic's statement about a possible government of national salvation was an announcement of a grand coalition between the HDZ and SDP.

Bernardic said that Grcic's statement had been taken out of context.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2020 - The Voice of Entrepreneurs association said on Sunday that the HDZ, IDS, Reformists and the Milan Bandic 365 (MB365) party did not respond to their request for the implementation of radical reforms, noting that some parties were evidently not interested in true reforms.

The association said that its request to parties to formally oblige themselves to implement radical tax policy reforms, abolish parafiscal levies, ensure public finance transparency, reduce the expenditure side of the budget, reform the judiciary and redefine the role of the State Inspectorate, had been responded to by 12 parties but not the largest one, the HDZ, or the BM365, IDS and the Reformists.

The SDP has responded to the request on behalf of its RESTART coalition, with an 11-page document in which it presents its own proposals, and as for the demands by the Voice of Entrepreneurs association, it supported its demand for tax reform and for redefining the role of the State Inspectorate.

The party supported the other proposals in part, in line with its platform, the association said, adding that the HNS responded positively to all demands, except for the one regarding the cancellation of parafiscal levies.

Positive replies to all demands were sent by Miroslav Skoro's Homeland Movement, Bridge, Fokus, HSLS, Human Shield, Pametno, the Ivan Pernar Party and the Party with a First and Last Name.

The Voice of Entrepreneurs concludes that some political parties evidently have nothing against the existing state of affairs, wondering if it can trust at all politicians or those wishing to enter the world of politics even when they pledge to do something.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2020 - The Croatian Tourism Ministry has decided to finance six regional competence centres with an additional HRK 388 million (€51.32 million), with Minister Gari Cappelli saying that competence centres were a long-term solution to the problem of labour shortages in the hospitality industry.

Eighty-five percent of the funding for the project comes form the European Social Fund and 15% from the national budget.

Six regional competence centres - in Dubrovnik, Split, Opatija, Pula, Zabok and Osijek - have applied for HRK 300 million available as part of a tender for the establishment of competence centres, published in July 2019.

Since the applications exceeded the available amount and considering their high quality, additional funding was secured for the six competence centres.

More than HRK 500 million has been made available from the European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund for the establishment of regional competence centres.

Cappelli believes that the project marks the start of a new era for human resources in tourism, with employees acquiring quality knowledge appropriate to modern market trends and employers obtaining quality workers with practical experience.

The concept of regional competence centres is based on on-the-job training, with employers being key partners to institutions for vocational education and the sustainability of the regional centres depending on lasting cooperation with employers and a timely response to market needs, the ministry said.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2020 - No one in Croatia should feel like a second-class citizen because of their gender or sexual orientation, President Zoran Milanovic said on Sunday.

On the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Milanovic said in a Facebook post that he had on many occasions expressed a wish for Croatia to be a solidary community of citizens who may be different but are all equal.

"Today, when democratic and civilised societies around the world mark International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, let me reiterate my firm belief that no one should feel like a second-class citizen in Croatia because of their gender or sexual orientation," Milanovic said.

He called for commitment to promoting equality, building an open and safe society, including the right to choice, non-discrimination and protection of all minorities, as well as zero tolerance to violence.

"That is the only way for Croatia to really be a country of equal people," he said.

Zagreb Pride: Around 64% of LGBTIQ persons experience violence

Around 64% of LGBTIQ persons in Croatia experience violence and one in three attempt to commit suicide or hurt themselves, the Zagreb Pride association said on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

The LGBTIQ community says that the joint message of the global LGBTIQ movement - Break the Silence - is a message and appeal to the authorities and society to make violence against the LGBTIQ community impermissible and punishable.

Zagreb Pride recalls that the Council of Europe on Sunday called on European countries to do more to help young LGBTIQ persons deal with the challenges they encounter, notably in the current times of crisis.

Zagreb Pride says that discrimination and hate crimes against LGBTIQ persons in Croatia "are not only due to active work by the right-clerical organisations and their campaign of spreading prejudices and hate against LGBTIQ persons but also due to the government's discriminatory policy, non-implementation of existing laws and court inefficiency."

The NGO called on President Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic to think about their own responsibility for the social status of LGBTIQ persons and what they can do to improve it.

ZAGREB, May 17, 2020 - Former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic on Sunday most strongly condemned the Croatian parliament's sponsorship of the Bleiburg commemoration, saying that it was not an act of commemorating the victims but a problematic political event and "a case of shameful manipulation."

"The Bleiburg commemoration, held under Croatia's auspices, is anything but an act of commemoration. It is a strong political message that serves the purpose of historical and political revisionism, rehabilitation of Ustasha ideology and strengthening nationalism and the political right," Josipovic said in an interview with the Bosnian news portal Faktor.

He said the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the Church and right political circles shared responsibility for that.

Josipovic also said that there was no doubt that crimes had been committed against numerous people in May 1945 and that that truth must not be concealed but that facts must not be used for political purposes either.

"Many people were killed... there is no justification for such a large number of killings," he said, adding that believers and their church have the right to pray for the souls of the deceased but that it is problematic when that is done without the historical context and with "dangerous political messages."

That is especially dangerous in the multiethnic Sarajevo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which felt strongly the consequences of the Ustasha regime and which continues to be burdened by ethnic intolerance and policies that are responsible for the suffering in WWII as well as in the 1990s war, Josipovic said, adding that this was why he believed Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic was wrong to hold a memorial mass for the Bleiburg victims in Sarajevo on Saturday.

"It is dangerous and irresponsible or is a part of a political concept designed to destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina," Josipovic said, adding that he stood firmly behind his speech during a visit to Israel, when he said that the threat of Ustashism was still alive and was getting stronger.

Kusic: Bleiburg one of biggest Croatian tragedies

In a separate interview with Croatian Television on Saturday, PM Plenkovic's advisor on social affairs, academician Zvonko Kusic, said that this year's commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Bleiburg tragedy, one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the Croatian people, was dignified.

The commemoration also included a memorial mass for the victims, held in Sarajevo by Sarajevo Archbishop Vinko Puljic, which drew criticism from a part of the public in the country and prompted several thousand people in the Bosnian capital to go on a protest walk, claiming the mass was an attempt to equate the victims of the Ustasha regime and those who had committed crimes against them.

Commenting on that, Kusic said that it was an old attempt to politicise the commemoration.

"The commemoration for the Bleiburg victims has always been politicised in a way. There have always been accusations that it is about the rehabilitation of the Independent State of Croatia, however, (the Sarajevo event) is a mass, a ceremony that has nothing to do with rehabilitation. Nonetheless, various political stakeholders... become active at this time of the year, forming a kind of hostile alliance," he said.

Kusic, who chairs the Croatian government's commission for dealing with consequences of undemocratic regimes, also described as an act of politicisation the statement by Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic that the Sarajevo mass risked turning into a glorification of the Ustasha regime.

May 17, 2020 - After news this week that Croatia Airlines would reduce the frequency of its domestic flights, the national carrier announced plans to expand its international network. 

Croatia Airlines resumed its domestic flights on May 11, with two daily services from Zagreb to both Dubrovnik and Split. Though, not even one week later, and due to the lack of demand, the airline was forced to reduce the service and instead operate with a triangle routing Zagreb - Split - Dubrovnik - Zagreb. 

However, that hasn’t stopped the airline from reinstating its international network. Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that from May 25, Croatia Airlines will reuse its service between Zagreb and Amsterdam, which a second daily service to Frankfurt will also be introduced. Recall, the Zagreb-Frankfurt route was the only international route to be maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Furthermore, the national airline welcomed a new Airbus A319 aircraft to its fleet, which landed n Zagreb on Wednesday from Woensdrecht, Netherlands. The aircraft has the capacity for 150 passengers, which is slightly larger than the rest of Croatia Airlines’ A319 fleet. The aircraft was purchased before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Concerning the losses, it is too early to talk about it, as we do not know how long this crisis will last for. On one hand, you do not have revenue coming in, and on the other you do not know how big the expenses will be. We are adjusting to the current situation and are doing our job to the best of our ability. All our costs have been reduced as much as possible,” said Croatia Airlines’ CEO, Jasmin Bajić.

Ex Yu Aviation adds that over the past two months, Croatia Airlines has performed heavy maintenance on one of its Dash 8 turboprops, and minor work on the rest of the fleet. 

“Our long-term strategy is to perform the majority of work in-house with our own personnel. We invest a lot of resources to maintain a stable but flexible system in our technical department, relying on highly skilled personnel. We are fully capable of performing heavy maintenance on our fleet including six-year and twelve-year checks, non-destructive testing, shop work and engineering. However, despite this extreme new situation of closed borders and limited travel, we will continue work on our fleet, for it to be completely ready when the time comes for our aircraft to fly again,” said Croatia Airlines’ Technical Director Davor Bujan. 

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 17, 2020 - After health tourism came to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic, the owners of dental offices and polyclinics in Croatia are waiting for the borders to open again. The return of guests from abroad is also desired by other health care institutions that realize part of their income from the provision of services to foreign clients, such as cosmetic surgeons or spas.

Novi List reports that it is estimated that the daily consumption of wellness users last year was almost 150 euro, in spa tourism 60 euro, and in medical tourism 240 euro. According to official estimates, health tourism brings in about 500 million euro a year, and mostly hosts residents of Germany, Slovenia, Austria and Italy. As it turned out, the Croatian border today is no longer an obstacle to the arrival of foreign clients who are interested in dental implants or breast augmentation, because, in principle, anyone who books a hotel room can enter the country. But the Italian border, for example, is still closed, while most other countries still have rules stricter than ours. The largest number of clients of dental institutions in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties come from Italy.

"We had to cancel a number of appointments in the last two months, and the situation became more complicated for our clients during that time. We are waiting every moment for the borders to open, and according to the information we have, they are ready and eagerly waiting to come," says Zeljko Miljanic, the founder and owner of the Rident Polyclinic.

It is customers from Italy who make up 90 percent of their customers. Due to the closure of the borders, 210 employees in the three polyclinics have been at home for two months, on hold, hoping that the borders will finally open. So far, says Miljanic, they have managed to get through this time without firing any employees, but if something does not change soon, it will not last long. "And the includes maintenance and investment are extremely large for us," he points out.

"As health tourism, we are the second most profitable activity in the county, and I hope that the local self-government will start thinking about the fact that many people will depend on us, on the tax and surtax we pay," says Miljanic.

He hopes that the Italians will get permission from their authorities to leave the country in June, which would allow our entrepreneurs in the field of dental tourism to continue working. The Croatian Chamber of Dental Medicine (HKDM) says that the resumption of work with foreign clients will not happen overnight, but they expect things to return to normal gradually.

"Given the dynamics of the gradual, phased withdrawal of protective measures in Croatia, as in other European Union countries, we expect an adequate gradual return to everyday life, which includes the provision of comprehensive dental care in dental offices to foreign nationals. Providing these services to the extent we had before the pandemic was declared will certainly not be overnight, but the quality dental services provided by foreign patients in our surgeries will continue to be interesting for foreign patients, who we believe will continue to show interest in dental tourism services in Croatia," says the President of the Chamber, Hrvoje Pezo. He points out that the maximum caution and protection of both the foreign patient and the dental service provider is extremely important.

The protocol of treatment is elaborated in detail, so the rules of conduct and personal protection are well known when you come to the dental practice. At the Rident Polyclinic, they point out that they had extremely high standards of protection even before the coronavirus epidemic, which is confirmed by the fact that despite the large number of clients from Italy, they did not have a single case of coronavirus infection just before the border closed.

"Back in February, we had clients from the zones in Italy that were most affected by the infection. Despite that, no dentist has contracted COVID," Miljanic points out.

Today, the rules for crossing the Croatian state border are such that for a foreign citizen to enter the country, it is advisable to contact the border police by e-mail, if a person wants to be sure that he will not be banned from entering Croatia. The Chamber points out that their members are ready to help their clients in this.

"Dental doctors are ready to help foreigners in collecting the necessary documentation related to entering Croatia for the purpose of providing dental care. However, the details of crossing the border, as well as countries in transit, need to be elaborated in more detail and certainly enable the simplest possible entry procedure, which in accordance with EU directives ensures free migration of EU citizens and citizens of other countries," says Pezo.

The coronavirus pandemic has taught people to be careful, and the question is how many Italians will go to the dentist in another country during a pandemic, albeit on a much smaller scale than a month or two ago. As in general tourism, caution could significantly reduce the number of foreigners coming to Croatia. The Chamber of Dental Medicine is aware of this problem, but still believes that the interest of foreign clients will not be absent.

"At this moment, it is necessary to create preconditions for the re-migration of patients, both Croatian and foreign citizens. European Union countries are cautiously withdrawing protective measures that will rekindle the interest of foreign clients, since Croatia is an interesting destination, and the dental services themselves are at an extremely high level of quality, which foreign patients have recognized," says Pezo.

He adds that the chamber has developed professional guidelines for full-scale work during the coronavirus pandemic, which guarantees maximum protection for all patients.

In the last two months, the Chamber has continuously cooperated with the Crisis Headquarters at the Ministry of Health, and as a professional organization of dentists, dental technicians and dental assistants, pointed to professional guidelines based on scientific knowledge and experience in the everyday practice of dental practices. "All decisions of the Crisis Headquarters were implemented at the county level, where, in only a few cases, the organization of dental work was specific. In an effort to help its members, the chamber gave its suggestions in writing, which were accepted by these counties," they point out.

The losses in health tourism are huge, as in other parts of the economy. In dental tourism, the drop in traffic is up to 100 percent. The economic aid measures adopted by the Government, including dental medicine, will, they say, alleviate the financial difficulties of dentists and dental technicians, but they hope that there will soon be economic growth in their business.

"Losses in dental tourism are 100 percent, which is why the Chamber is cooperating intensively with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism on the reactivation of dental tourism, because health tourism, due to its advantages, could be a lever for tourism in Croatia," Pezo said. The advantages of health tourism are related to the fact that there is no seasonality, so it is tourism that is current throughout the year, patients are tied to one place, or to the health institution they come to, can be kept under health supervision. A special advantage is that health professionals who provide health services have professional knowledge and appropriate education and can adequately take care of all necessary protective measures, according to the Chamber of Dental Medicine.

Cosmetic surgery is in a slightly more favorable position, which depends to a much lesser extent on foreign clients. At the Zoran Žgaljardić Center for Aesthetic Surgery, foreign patients make up only 20 to 30 percent of the total clientele. Despite this, they hope to return to 'normal' as soon as possible so that they can work at full capacity.

"There are interested parties whose operations were canceled last month and the month before last, and now they are calling to schedule a new appointment," says Žgaljardić, who is not convinced that opening the borders will quickly normalize and foreigners rush to our clinics.

"People have no fear if things are regulated. If we open the borders, a foreigner who wants to come to our clinic will receive an invitation letter for surgery, and then he will solve the rest in his country," explains the cosmetic surgeon.

He believes that the return of clients from neighboring countries will not happen so fast.

"People will be scared because things are not clear until the end. Each of us in this situation will have some priorities and security put in the first place, and something will be postponed for later," he believes.

But safety reasons, in his opinion, should not be an obstacle for someone to decide on an aesthetic procedure, without fear of infection.

"If you have a man who is healthy and if the instructions are followed, the chances of something happening are minimal. Our client, if he comes from abroad, gets in the car, crosses the border, has an operation, returns home. It is a closed story, the possibility of infection is reduced to a minimum. But people need to be aware that they need to be careful," he points out. He noticed that people in our country have become quite free, relaxed, and act as if it is not an epidemic. He is not very happy with that, because there is always a risk of the virus coming back.

"Some people relax and think it's not like that, but it is, no matter what they think about it. Some of us think it’s stupid to wear a mask, but I, as a doctor, don’t think so until a vaccine or cure is found. Everyone should think for themselves and take the strictest measures, that is the only thing that is intelligent in this situation,"  Žgaljardić points out.

In his clinic, they apply all prescribed protection measures, from disinfection to masks and visors. Visors are used in surgical procedures, especially the anesthesiologist during intubation, while he, as the doctor at the examination, wears only a mask.

"We start from the assumption that we work with a healthy person. We could also test our patients, but realistically he can get infected a few hours later. Testing is relative proof that a person is healthy," explains Žgaljardić. Ultimately, he adds, a patient can also be infected, but does not have to pass the disease on to anyone if everyone is properly protected.

Although cosmetic surgery is a branch of health tourism that could potentially suffer more than others, because it does not seem to be a priority, this interlocutor claims that this cannot be seen as such, and that the issue of cosmetic surgery and its urgency is very individual.

"Being a reward for some is a priority for others. Some people will never come to me, they will think it’s stupid, and others will. Physical disability is not an upgrade, it makes a person depressed, it brings with it another issue. Just because something is beauty-related doesn’t mean it has no basis for health. It is not, of course, cancer, but there are many other similar procedures on the body that do not have to be done, and they are important to people," Žgaljardić illustrates and announces that he is resuming his activity at a slow pace and with great caution.

"This year, we are all trying to survive, to stay afloat, and at the same time, we live in optimism," he concludes.

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