Emergency Service

I have a friend who lives in a posh part of North London, not 600 metres from one of the main hospitals in the city. As soon as his wife went into labour with their second child, he called the emergency services who said they were on their way.

They weren't as quick as his young daughter however and, as they circled the area looking for parking, my friend was left to help his wife give birth to their baby girl, which he did with aplomb. 

I have a father-in-law who lives in Jelsa, who had a very bad fall a couple of years ago and needed emergency treatment. Half an hour after the fall, he was in a hospital bed in Split, where he made a full recovery. 

While the health service on Hvar suffers somewhat from resources (although the staff are excellent), the emergency response never ceases to amaze me. In cases of genuine emergency, a helicopter is summoned from Split hospital, and the journey from the landing points at the Stari Grad airport and Jelsa football pitch takes just 12 minutes.

Our eldest daughter was transferred last year as she became quite ill, but seemed to be well enough to enjoy the view and experience, for she informed me in hospital that she would like to go home on the helicopter because it was more fun than the ferry...

The best advice of course, is to avoid getting into accident situations, drink in moderation and enjoy the magic of Hvar. But if you do get into trouble and need urgent assistance, the number to dial is 112. 

EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

Emergency: 00 385 112

Ambulance : 00 385 194

Fire brigade : 00 385 193

Police : 00 385 192