Franco Nero, the renowned Italian actor whom we remember from films such as "The Battle of the Neretva River” and the western "Django", has arrived in Croatia to film “The Match", a film directed by Croatian director Jakov Sedlar. He decided to take advantage of his stay in Croatia to solve his vision problems. This is just another example of Croatia's succesful development of medical tourism, reports tportal.hr on November 1, 2018.

In the Svjetlost eye-polyclinic in Zagreb, he underwent a surgery to implant multifocal lenses which have solved his vision problems. “I was encouraged by the experience of my colleague Armand Assante and his enthusiasm for dr. Nikica Gabrić, I have finally decided to solve my vision problems here in Croatia. I am the happiest when I am on a film set. I like to create, I have been working my whole life and I am delighted to do it. In the total devotion to my greatest love – which is acting – I have so far been hampered by my poor vision, which was becoming gradually worse as the years passed by. Starting from today, I no longer have any of these problems since I can see clearly everything which surrounds me,” the 76-year-old actor said.

“Franco Nero could have solved his vision problems with his doctors in Rome or London, but he still came to the Svjetlost polyclinic, at the recommendation of our former patient. This is the best proof how our work is making us able to gain our patients' trust and that even someone from Croatia can compete with the world's best eye clinics,” said the Svjetlost owner and director Nikica Gabrić.

Svjetlost recently also brought to Zagreb another famous actor, Armand Assante, who also successfully solved his eye problems there.

For more on Croatia’s medical tourism, click here.

Reacting to an alleged lawsuit announced by the Clinical Hospital Centre (KBC) in Split against MP Ivana Ninčević Lesandrić of the MOST party, MP Arsen Bauk of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) called on Monday on Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković to protect parliamentary deputies from harassment by state institutions.

In the meantime, KBC Split issued a press release denying that it was suing the MP for defamation over the statement she had made in parliament that she had undergone curettage at that hospital without anaesthesia.

"It is scandalous that a state institution is planning to sue an MP for defamation for something that was said in parliament," Bauk said citing the Constitution under which a parliamentary deputy cannot be held criminally liable for expressing an opinion or voting in parliament. "If an institution founded by the state, and KBC Split is such an institution, does not know the Constitution, then at least the Health Ministry, which appointed the hospital's steering committee, should have warned them about it. If they fail to do so, I expect you Mr Parliament Speaker to protect MPs from being harassed by stated institutions for something they said in parliament," Bauk said, calling on Jandroković to warn KBC Split that its actions were unconstitutional.

Večernji List daily reported on Monday, citing unofficial sources, that the Split hospital was planning to sue Ninčević Lesandrić for defamation because she said in parliament that she was traumatized by the curettage procedure she had at that hospital without anaesthesia.

Acting KBC Split director Julija Meštrović told Hina this was not true. "This simply is not true...such claims are malicious and mean," Meštrović told Hina.

Earlier this month, Ninčević Lesandić described her personal experience at the KBC Split after suffering a miscarriage, saying that curettage had been performed on her without anaesthesia. Her statement opened Pandora's box about the treatment of women in many Croatian hospitals.

Soon after Ninčević Lesandrić went public with her experience, the head of the Clinic for Women's Diseases at the Clinical Hospital Centre (KBC) in Split, Deni Karelović, denied her claims that she had undergone curettage at the KBC Split without anaesthesia. "This specific case happened in February when this woman suffered a miscarriage in the seventh week of pregnancy. It is not true that curettage was performed, but vacuum aspiration," Karelović told Hina, adding that the procedure was state-of-the-art treatment and that it was very brief.

If you are interested in more news about Croatia’s health sector, click here.

The IVF procedure in Zagreb was performed just five years after the world’s first procedure in Great Britain.

Armand Assante came to Zagreb for an eye surgery.

ZAGREB, October 15, 2018 - Representatives of the Roda parent association on Monday presented the Health Ministry with the testimonies of 400 women with unpleasant experiences in Croatian hospitals. "We bring you the testimonies of 400 women who have experienced some form of violent and painful treatment before, after or during labour," Daniela Drandic of the Roda association told the press outside the Health Ministry.

ZAGREB, October 12, 2018 - The head of the Clinic for Women's Diseases at the Clinical Hospital Centre (KBC) in Split, Deni Karelović, denied on Friday the statement made by an opposition lawmaker in the Croatian parliament on Thursday that she had undergone curettage at the KBC Split without anaesthesia.

The new hospital will be located near the site of the never completed university hospital in Zagreb.

ZAGREB, September 28, 2018 - Opposition parties on Friday put forward a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Milan Kujundžić, after they had collected 31 signatures of lawmakers, as required under the procedure.

ZAGREB, September 25, 2018 - The CheckPoint project is a comprehensive approach to supporting HIV prevention and has been included in a collection of good practices by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the best example in Europe, which is huge recognition for the organisations involved, a press conference heard on Tuesday.

The company continues its successful collaboration with the Krijesnica NGO.