March 25, 2023 - Significant progress is happening at the Sisters of Charity Hospital in Zagreb. Artificial intelligence, with the assistance of the Micromate robotic arm placed on the CT device, enables a probe for the thermal destruction of a tumor to be precisely positioned in the body after the initial imaging.

As 24Sata writes, at the Clinical Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the Sisters of Charity Hospital, for the first time in Croatia, percutaneous ablation procedures and tumor biopsies were successfully performed on oncology patients using the latest robotic arm technology, it was announced at the Sisters of Charity Hospital.

Artificial intelligence, with the assistance of the Micromate robotic arm placed on the CT device, enables the probe for the thermal destruction of the tumor to be precisely positioned in the body after the initial imaging.

This represents significant help for precise navigation even to the most difficult to reach or difficult to see small tumors with a significantly lower amount of radiation for the patient, says the press release signed by the Director of Sisters of Charity Hospital, prof. Ph.D. Davor Vagić, MD. and the Clinical Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Sisters of Charity Hospital, Ph.D. Luka Novosel, subspecialist of interventional radiology.

All of the above, at the same time, speeds up the procedure itself. The aforementioned robotic arm system has been used by oncology departments around the world for three years and recently by larger oncology centers in Europe.

Recognized as a center of excellence in the minimally invasive treatment of oncology patients in this part of Europe, the Department of Interventional Radiology of Sisters of Charity Hospital was provided with this technology to test all the possibilities and advantages of this system, which is planned to be used in the future for the majority of oncology patients.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

November 28, 2021 - The director of the KBC Sisters of Charity, one of the most important hospitals in Zagreb, spoke about the new coronavirus strain, hospitals situation, and protests against epidemiological measures in the capital, confirming that one of those who protested is hospitalized, and another young man in Dubrava as well.

The director of KBC Sisters of Charity Hospital, Davor Vagić, commented for N1 the appearance of a new variant of the coronavirus called omicron. Scientists consider this variant the most significant so far because the vaccine could be less effective, and it also seems to spread faster than delta strains, reports Net.hr.

"I am not worried, but I am careful. We analyze all the new information we get and see what needs to be done next. It definitely shows that this virus is not harmless, it is very dangerous and one should be careful not to spread and not get worse and this is a very serious situation", said Vagić the appearance of a new strain.

The president of the Homeland Movement, Ivan Penava, said the other day that ''bioterrorists'' are entering hospitals with COVID certificates, but Vagić claims that the measures in the hospitals are appropriate at the moment.

"The system is under a lot of pressure. The biggest pressure is on employees, COVID patients are difficult patients, they have difficulty moving, they need special health care and what we see now is the biggest pressure on nursing staff because it is one of the ones we have the least. There is huge pressure on the doctor as well. These people are doing hard and responsible work and in these two years we can say that in a way they are our heroes. If we talk about doctors, about 95 percent of them are vaccinated in Croatia. There is very little transfer of the virus, we don’t even see it and we can say that in some way hospitals are safe. Occasionally a transfer may occur, but this is negligible. The COVID confirmations are absolutely good", thinks the director of KBC Sisters of Charity.

“The health care system will certainly endure, rest assured. But it will be a huge burden, that's for sure", he added.

As for another protest against epidemiological measures taking place, he says he is saddened by it. "I don't think such things are necessary and that endangers the health of people who are protesting. They endanger themselves and others. We hospitalized one person from the protest, one young person was hospitalized in Dubrava as well. People can have an opinion, and the task of the profession, media, is to report what is best, what is true, to give people key information. The patient, the person must have all possible information. In the end, they are the ones who decide. There is perhaps too little talk about responsibility'', Vagić said.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

ZAGREB, 21 May 2021 - President Zoran Milanović said on Friday that the situation in Zagreb's KBC Sisters of Charity Hospital was a disastrous example of neglect and mismanagement, noting that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković should have dealt with that problem right away.

Milanović, who was visiting the northern Adriatic peninsula of Istria to attend an exhibition staged on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first national revival gathering of the Croats of Istria and Kvarner, commented on the Health Ministry having sent an inspection team to the hospital to investigate allegations of unlawful activities.

"I believe it is a disastrous example of neglect, mismanagement. It describes best what has been going on at that hospital for a year. After a conflict between the minister and a doctor working there, the case should have been solved by dismissing either him or her," he said.

Milanović's statement was a reference to Dijana Zadravec, the head of the hospital's radiology department, who has been replaced over poor interpersonal relations that have resulted in a large number of radiologists leaving the hospital and who claims that hospital funds are used for private interests and that corruption and crime are being covered up.

Zadravec has said that she is in conflict with "the heads of hospital departments who own private hospitals and work to the benefit of those hospitals while using the resources of the public health system."

The person in charge of deciding on the matter, the prime minister, let the situation escalate, said Milanović, noting that the PM could have dealt with it sooner.

"A year later, there is no one left... This is a serious matter and it must not happen because it undermines the little trust left in the health system," Milanović said.

Decision on fighter jets not made

Asked to comment on the purchase of fighter jets following media reports that Croatia has opted for used French aircraft, Milanović said that a decision had not been made.

"I don't know who published that because a decision has not been made, so (the reports) make no sense," he said.

Asked if he insisted on US planes, Milanović said that he had never insisted on US planes.

"I only said that the USA is our main partner, but that does not mean that we have to buy planes from them. I have been saying over the past year that I will support any choice the government makes. Both bids are good. One should take care of Croatia's interests," he said.

On COVID-19 passes

Commenting on COVID-19 passes, he said that if people got vaccinated more, there would be no need for those passes.

I will lay wreaths less and less

PM Plenković has said that there will be no joint laying of wreaths by state officials until the end of his term, to which Milanović today said that he would lay wreaths less and less, "except in cases of major national anniversaries."

He noted that apart from keeping florists working, wreaths were also a serious public sanitation problem because they attracted rodents.

"In the future, I will carry roses, a stone, a carnation wherever that is possible," he said, noting that the point was about commemorating people and events together.

"If he (Plenković) does not want it, so be it. We sat down at the table yesterday and did our job. According to his interpretation of the relations between the president and the prime minister, he was putting on an act. He was not, he was doing his job. I don't do all things I have to do with equal enthusiasm and pleasure either," said Milanović.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 10 May 2021 - Coca-Cola HBC Croatia has donated HRK 150,000 to the Blood Transfusion and Regenerative Medicine Unit at Zagreb's Sisters of Charity Hospital, to be used to purchase a tissue freezer, which will facilitate the work of experts at the Tissue and Cell Bank clinic, the company said on Monday.

The freezer can be cooled down to -86 degrees Celsius and it will be used to store tissue to be used throughout Croatia.

The donation is a contribution to a project intended to modernize and equip the clinic to expand its activities to four new types of therapy, including therapy with stem cells, the company said, noting that the donation will improve the safety, quality control, and efficacy of the therapy as well as achieve scientific excellence aimed at employing young researchers.

Hospital director Mario Zovak thanked Coca Cola for the donation, saying that the full potential of the hospital's contribution and introduction of new types of tissue and cell therapy was considerably limited due to a lack of equipment as well as inadequate space as the hospital premises were damaged in last year's earthquakes.

(€1 = HRK 7.526977)

For more, follow our lifestyle section.