ZAGREB, 21 December, 2021 - The Croatian Medical Chamber (HLK) leader, Krešimir Luetić, said on Tuesday that Ronapreve, a medicine used for treating COVID-19 in adults, had arrived in Croatia on Monday, and that the drug would be used in acute cases.
It will certainly help some people diagnosed with this infectious disease, however, it will not heal everyone who is infected, the doctor warned.
"Medication against COVID is for acute patients and we have a relatively small amount of the medicine in Croatia," Luetić told reporters after the first 1,800 doses of Ronapreve were shipped to Croatia.
Speaking at the opening of a post-COVID clinic in east Zagreb, Luetić said that the medication is intended for patients who could develop severe symptoms of the COVID infection.
"The medicine will certainly help some patients but it won't heal everyone who is infected," said Luetić urging citizens to get vaccinated.
The European Medicines Agency approved Ronapreve in November. The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription and should be given in healthcare facilities where patients can be adequately monitored and managed in case they develop severe allergic reactions.
The lower vaccination rate, the higher mortality rate
Luetić commented on the high COVID-19 fatality rate in Croatia, which has one of the highest COVID-related mortality rates among European countries.
"One of the reasons is a relatively low level of vaccination and relatively mild measures over the past year in Croatia," he said, elaborating that a level of inoculation in a country has direct impact on a share of patients in serious conditions and on death outcome.
