June 7, 2021 - Thirty Croatian entrepreneurs came together to help the Department of Pediatrics of the General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić "in Sisak.

As reported by HRT, entrepreneurs will participate in the charity campaign Heart Entrepreneurial for Pediatrics of the Sisak Hospital, which aims to procure a portable incubator.

 ''Five hundred thousand kuna needed to buy an incubator, they will try to raise by giving business advice on the Klippy platform, the organizers announce Through this platform, video messages will answer questions from entrepreneurs and those just starting out in entrepreneurship.''

Those interested will be able to ask a variety of questions related to the business - from bureaucratic to commenting on specific entrepreneurial ideas, point out from the platform Klippy. Each advice will be charged 150 kuna, and all the money raised by the action will be donated to the Department of Pediatrics of the General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić "in order to rebuild and equip that department as soon as possible after the devastating earthquake that hit Sisak-Moslavina County at the end of last year.

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ZAGREB, 28 May 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday formally opened the new building of the Sisak Hospital compounds that house an outpatient treatment department and unscheduled and emergency care services.

The implementation of the project, worth 132 million kuna, started in 2017, at the beginning of the term of the first cabinet of Prime Minister Plenković.

During his visit to Sisak today, Plenković recalled that his government had supported projects for outpatient facilities in 24 cities plus projects for unscheduled and emergency care service improvement in seven of those cities.

He said that the total investment in the upgrade of the Croatian public healthcare system stood at HRK 2.4 billion.

(€1= HRK 7.5)

For more on news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated news section.

ZAGREB, 26 April, 2021 - Belgian Thierry Neuville, who came in third in Croatia Rally, the third round of the World Rally Championship (WRC), will donate €4,000 for the reconstruction of the building of the General Hospital "Dr Ivo Pedišić" in Sisak.

Neuville has shown that in addition to being an excellent rally driver, he is also a great humanitarian as he joined the international humanitarian campaign "Together to the Finish Line", which was launched at the end of March by the Croatia Rally organising committee with the support of the WRC and the Croatian Red Cross as the project holder.

Neuville's team thanked the organisers for a great rally which took place this weekend at the local roads of Karlovac, Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties and the City of Zagreb. They said that everyone was extremely happy and satisfied with their stay in Croatia.

Together with his colleagues Sebastien Ogier and Teemu Suninen, Neuville has been supporting the humanitarian campaign since the very start, and the Belgian had announced that he would donate €2,000 for participating and €4,000 if he won second or third place.

After a great weekend on local Croatian roads, the Belgian finished third, together with his co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe. Interestingly, the Belgian crew was third in all of the three rounds of this year's WRC, and it is ranked second in it overall WRC standings.

All those interested can support the excellent sports-humanitarian initiative until 30 April by donating to account HR2023600001502892305.

To read more news from Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

March 26, 2021 - The World Rally Championship, Croatia Rally, and the Croatian Red Cross join forces to renovate Sisak's hospital, which was badly damaged after the earthquake.

As Tportal.hr reports, the Organizing Committee of the Croatia Rally, with the support of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the Croatian Red Cross as the project leader, is launching an international humanitarian action ‘‘Together for a common goal’’ to help the General Hospital ‘Dr. Ivo Pedišić’ in Sisak.

The mentioned action will last from March 25 to April 30, and all funds collected by donations to the bank account HR2023600001502892305 in that period will be spent on the renovation of the Sisak hospital building.

Croatia Rally, which is included in the calendar of the World Rally Championship (WRC) for 2021, and which will host one of the world's most attractive sports events in Zagreb from April 22 to 25, is launching an initiative, with the help of citizens, to raise the financial resources needed for the successful reconstruction of the main health institution of the Sisak-Moslavina County destroyed in the earthquake of last December.

The organizers of this international humanitarian action decided to use the arrival of the world event in Croatia, which attracts the great interest of spectators every year, to help the local community, and support for this praiseworthy action comes from rally drivers Thierry Neuville, Sebastien Ogier, and Teemu Suninen. The popularity of the WRC is evidenced by the fact that, in recent years, WRC races have been watched on TV screens by about 836 million viewers, and 13 races have attracted more than 4 million viewers.

Photo: PIXSELL

‘‘From the very beginning of organizing and bringing the WRC to Croatia, we have been trying to use all ways to give our actions an additional contribution to our community. That is why our vision of the race from the very beginning goes beyond the framework of sports competition. In addition to the promotion of our country and the rich tourist offer, we are convinced that we can encourage citizens to show their big heart again and to help those who are in dire need. We will also promote the action outside Croatia and we believe in the support of many spectators around the world, and many drivers arriving in Croatia have already promised their contribution’’, said the president of the Organizing Committee of Croatia Rally, Daniel Šaškin.

The holder of the humanitarian action 'Together for a common goal' is the Croatian Red Cross, which continuously invests exceptional efforts and helps the affected areas.

Photo: PIXSELL

‘‘The World Rally Championship race is being organized on the territory of the Republic of Croatia for the first time. It is great recognition for our country, but also for motorsports. We are especially proud that the race has a humanitarian character and that the Croatian Red Cross was chosen as a partner in the implementation of the donation. We welcome the idea of ​​the organizers that the collected donations help to normalize life in the earthquake-affected area, primarily the Sisak hospital. The renovation of the hospital will raise the quality of life in the entire Sisak-Moslavina County. We are happy that even after the race and the announcement of the best drivers in Banovina, there will be a lasting trace of the humanity of the World Rally Championship motorists’’, said Robert Markt, Executive President of the Croatian Red Cross.

The director of the Sisak General Hospital expressed his gratitude and pointed out that he would invest the donated funds in the renovation of the General Hospital building so that it could serve its citizens as soon as possible.

‘‘In the devastating earthquake on December 29, 2020, OB ‘Dr. Ivo Pedišić’ in Sisak suffered great damage. Hospital buildings, medical equipment, inventory, and supplies of medicines were damaged. As time passes, we try to organize and provide the highest possible level of health care to all residents of Sisak-Moslavina County. It will certainly take a lot of effort, time, and resources for the hospital to start working at full capacity again. Therefore, we are grateful to the Organizing Committee of the Croatia Rally with the support of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the Croatian Red Cross for the donation that will help rebuild and rehabilitate the hospital but also to continue to develop the hospital’’, said the director of the hospital, M.Sc. Tomislav Dujmenović, MD

All information about the humanitarian action can be found on the website of the Croatian Red Cross, and details about the sports spectacle that arrives in Croatia in April can be found on the official rally-croatia.com website and on their official social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.

You can participate in the humanitarian action by donating to the following bank account:

ZAGREBAČKA BANKA D.D. / HR2023600001502892305 / USER: CROATIAN RED CROSS / Reference number: 773; Swift: 773 / Description of payment: Croatia rally for Sisak hospital

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ZAGREB, 15 January, 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš on Friday visited the Sisak General Hospital, situated in the earthquake-affected area, saying he was satisfied with the situation there.

Since 5 January, 223 patients have been hospitalised there and 1,927 patients have been examined in the outpatient clinics. "These figures show the will of the staff and director of the hospital to provide adequate medical assistance," Beroš said.

He said that the ministry had contributed to the health system's response in terms of redistribution of patients after the 29 December earthquake, adding that there had been no major problems with the transport of patients to other hospitals.

Beroš said that at today's meeting they had discussed plans for the revitalisation of the Sisak hospital. He said that the provision of healthcare was currently complicated by the fact that the hospital's wards had been moved to three different locations.

"Now is the time after this tragedy to sum things up, determine the further course of action and present the best ideas for this area," the minister said, adding that the government would support such ideas. 

Speaking of the coronavirus situation in the country, Beroš said that the government had decided to keep the current restrictions in place until the end of the month, citing the increased mobility of people, a rising incidence in some countries and the emergence of a new strain of the virus. As for the earthquake-affected area, he said that they had expected a larger number of coronavirus cases but that that had not happened.

At the General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić ”in Sisak, only three buildings could be used after the earthquake. The campaign "Let's help Sisak hospital" is ranising funds for emergency help for the hospital

Zagreb / ​​Sisak, January 5, 2021 - General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić” in Sisak was destroyed in the earthquakes that hit Sisak-Moslavina County at the end of 2020.

Since it is essential that the hospital has an emergency function, the association Pomaganje je uvijek IN and the crowdfunding platform Croinvest have launched a mass financing campaign "Let's help the Sisak hospital".

Currently, only three buildings can be used in the hospital - gynecology, surgery and hemodialysis. The central pavilion is under construction and does not yet have a use permit, and five buildings have collapsed. In the hospital, in addition to buildings, furniture and medical, telecommunications and IT equipment were also damaged.

"Fifty patients are currently hospitalized. The hospital has 408 beds and between 1,000 and 1,200 patients pass through it daily. We now perform only diagnostic processing and process emergency internal medicine, infectological, pediatric and surgical cases. Unfortunately, we have to send more and more difficult cases to Zagreb ", said mr. sc. Tomislav Dujmenović, director of the General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić “.

The total damage to the hospital cannot yet be estimated at this time, but while waiting for the hospital to be systematically rebuilt, it needs help in urgently procuring the equipment needed by healthcare professionals and patients during their hospital stay.

"The funds we are collecting are kind of emergency aid to the Sisak hospital! That is why I am asking companies and citizens to get involved in the campaign with their donations. Let's reanimate the Sisak hospital with our hearts", said Ognjen Bagatin, president of the association Pomaganje je uvijek IN.

The campaign "Let's help the Sisak hospital" will last for 30 days with the aim of collecting one million kuna, which will be transferred entirely to the hospital's account. At the end of the campaign, the hospital will publish a report on what the donations were spent on.

Campaign: https://croinvest.eu/kampanja/pomozimo-sisackoj-bolnici/

Additional information: Facebook page of the association Pomaganje je uvijek IN

Media contact: Krešimira Rendulić, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 098 720 221

For the latest coverage from the Petrinja and Sisak earthquake, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

ZAGREB, 4 January, 2021 - The Sisak General Hospital sections housing gynecology, surgery, ophthalmology and dialysis wards and outpatient clinics are being put into operation again after preliminary inspections of the damage caused by the December 29 earthquake, director Tomislav Dujmenovic has said.

"Owing to the efficiency of our employees we have quickly restored basic care for emergency cases in the field of internal medicine, surgery, infectious diseases, pediatrics and gynecology," Dujmenovic said, noting that the hospital would continue providing medical care for citizens.

The hospital will also provide laboratory, dialysis and radiology services and its dispensary has sufficient quantities of medicines for all conditions, he said.

Patients suspected of being infected with coronavirus will be examined in the clinic for infectious diseases and those in need of hospitalisation will be transferred to Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital and Zagreb Arena sports hall, which has been converted to provide care for patients whose condition is not very serious. All patients who exhibit milder symptoms of the infection will be sent home to recover.

Dujmenovic said that the consequences of the earthquake would be dealt with with construction investments, procurement of modern medical equipment and sustainable solutions as well as continued employee training.

The December 29 earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, caused extensive damage to sections of the Sisak General Hospital, notably the administration building and the old clinic for internal medicine, which are not safe to stay in, as well as to hospital units in Petrinja.

The hospital management has thanked all employees, patients, citizens, volunteers and donors for assistance and understanding.

January 3, 2021 – Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Ivo Zinic visited little Daris, the first-born child in Croatia this year, and his mother Nataša Safić, at the Sisak General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić".

As Hina reports, Sisak-Moslavina County Prefect Ivo Žinić and Deputy Mayor Roman Rosavec visited on Saturday the first child born in Croatia, accompanied by hospital director Tomislav Dujmenović. They congratulated the young mother on her own, but also on behalf of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

Along with the occasional gifts, Prefect Žinić stated that this was a joyful moment in the whole agony.

"This symbolic birth in the first minute of the year is a symbol that 2021 will move in a better direction and that new development awaits us this year," Žinić told the gathered journalists.

Source: Sisak-Moslavina County

As reported earlier, the first baby born in Croatia in 2021 was Daris Safić from Petrinja. The mother and child are fine but remain at the Sisak hospital until further notice because the family was left homeless in the devastating earthquake. They slept in the car before going to the maternity ward.

As it is known, the city of Supetar on Brač has pledged to build a house for the Safić family, which will be a permanent solution. After the visit, Žinić said he believes that the remaining problems would be located in the coming days.

"The system is now working well, from local communities to the state. We have established a call center where citizens will be able to respond to their needs. Victims need psychological help, and we will send a professional team to the field on Sunday," said Žinić.

He thanked the Government of the Republic of Croatia, which made all its forces available.

Source: Sisak-Moslavina County

"Material help is just the beginning of the remediation, to bring the situation under control and at the same time, repair minor damage. According to initial estimates, we have 8750 damaged housing and a large number of public buildings. The first task is to take care of people, and we do not want anyone to be forgotten. The first estimates are that the damage amounts to around three billion kunas," Žinić said.

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary, and material aid, follow TCN's dedicated section.

January 1, 2021 – In the sea of sad news for one Petrinja family, whose house was demolished in an earthquake, a positive one arrived in the first minute of 2021. They welcomed a new family member – the first baby in 2021 in Croatia, born in Sisak Hospital.

The deputy director of the Sisak Hospital, Marin Repustić, who was on duty last night, shared the happy news on his Facebook account.

"I have to post this. On January 1, 2021, at 00:01, a baby was born in the Sisak Hospital. Our city still lives," wrote Repustić in his statement. He confirmed the news for Index, which quickly shared the happy news.

"Fifteen seconds after midnight, little Daris was born. It is very symbolic that he was born in Sisak. Mother and baby are fine. We are all overjoyed because everything went well. A baby was born in that part of the maternity ward that survived the earthquake," Repustić told Index.

A few days ago, the family was left homeless in the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Petrinja, Sisak, Glina, and many other places and villages across Sisak-Moslavina County.

"The lady is from Petrinja, this is her second child, and their house was demolished in the terrible earthquake. After the earthquake, she slept with her family in the car," Repustić said.

Numerous Croatian residents enthusiastically commented on social media that this is a good sign for their entire region after the suffering they have been going through in recent days.

"Dear colleague, this status is the best New Year's card/news. Sisak is being born, rising from the ashes. Happy New Year 2021, congratulations to parents, quick recovery to mother," reads one of many comments.

More information will be published soon, and everyone who wants will be able to help this family from Petrinja, which became richer for a new family member by entering 2021.

For more on the Petrinja earthquake, follow our dedicated section.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik/Bernard Ivezic writes on the 30th of March, 2020, the main hospital in Sisak, the Dr. Ivo Pedisic General Hospital, is the first in all of Croatia to use robots with UV lamps in the fight against coronavirus, which has recently proven to be a successful practice over in China, where the outbreak began.

Sisak-Moslavina County has bought the device for the hospital for half a million kuna (about 65,000 euros) from the Danish company UVD Robots.

According to the specifications, the robot can kill 99.999 percent of bacteria in the space it is in in a mere ten minutes, it also kills also viruses, including the coronavirus COVID-19. The UVD Robots machine moves at a speed of 5.4 km/h and can withstand two and a half hours of disinfection on one single charge. It looks like an autonomous smart vacuum cleaner, which is already on sale in Croatia, but has a stronger base and above it is a 171 centimetre vertical stand with UV-C (254 NM) UV lamps that illuminate the entire room.

If the lamps aren't switched on, then the robot has an autonomy of movement of eight hours. It takes three hours to recharge. Using UV-C light, the robot destroys DNA and RNA molecules, which are a key part of bacteria and viruses, and this process is successful for disinfecting surfaces in various spaces as well as for air disinfection.

The director of the Sisak General Hospital, Dr Tomislav Dujmenovic, told the Župan.hr portal that they had placed the robot in the infectology department after receiving the first case of coronavirus and were already actively using it in other hospital facilities.

"We placed it in the infectology department, so after the departure of a person infected with coronavirus, the robot thoroughly disinfects the space, after which the arrival of staff and every subsequent patient is safe," says Dr. Dujmenovic.

The Danish company Blue Ocean Robotics, which is a subsidiary of UVD Robots, received an award back in early March from one of the largest robotics associations in the Europen Union, euRobotics, for launching a public-private partnership in the field of robotics with the European Commission. The EC earmarked 700 million euros in incentives for robotics for the period between 2014 and 2020.

UV robots like the one developed by the aforementioned Danish company resulted in 77 percent bacteria reduction in intensive care units and 83 percent in operating rooms in a hospital in Taiwan in a recent test.

Back in mid-February, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, the Chinese medical equipment distributor Sunay Healthcare Supply contracted a collaboration agreement with the Danish company UVD Robots. The plan is to sell robots manufactured in Denmark to more than 2,000 hospitals in China. The Danish company states that they currently have customers for their robots in more than 40 countries across Asia, Europe and the US.

It's worth mentioning that after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, China began working on developing and manufacturing its own UV robots, and plans to use them even to disinfect public transport.

The World Health Organisation initially confirmed that UV lamps could destroy coronavirus, but then withdrew the statement and recommended that UV lamps not be used without the supervision of professionals. Namely, home and hobby use of UV lamps can lead to skin cancer and therefore no experimentation is recommended. Regular soap, they say, is just as good for coronavirus disinfection.

Follow our dedicated section for rolling information and updates in English on coronavirus in Croatia.