October 20, 2022 - A group of Croatian doctors from the Sestre Milosrdnice Clinical Hospital performed the procedure called "irreversible electroporation" (IRE) on two patients for the first time in this region.

Luka Novosel, MD and his team of physicians performed the procedure on two patients with liver cancers with developed metastases on October 18, the hospital has reported. They explained that this novel method doesn't use heat to destroy tumors, but rather specific electrical impulses that cause cell death, the so-called apoptosis, without any risk for other healthy surrounding structures and tissues. That leads to the natural death of the tumor cells, and the body independently and completely decomposes the tumor within 6 months replacing it with new healthy tissue, which is why scars don't get formed on the organs, the director of the hospital, Dr. Davor Vagić explained.

The method is a potential treatment for tumors and metastases located deep in the liver, which are inaccessible to surgery and other treatment methods. It is also often used in the treatment of tumors of the pancreas and prostate, which are difficult to reach with classical surgical procedures, the press release added.

The two patients who underwent the irreversible electroporation procedure were discharged from the hospital the very next day, without any complications or pain. They will continue to be further monitored and their disease possibly treated further.

The irreversible electroporation procedure carried out by the expert team of Sestre Milosrdnice Clinical Hospital was closely followed by fellow doctors from the countries of the region with the aim of education and introduction in their hospital centers as well, said the director of the hospital, Dr. Vagić.

ZAGREB, 8 Nov, 2021 - As COVID hospitalisation numbers are increasing, Zagreb hospitals are expanding their COVID capacities while reducing services that are not essential.

The director of the Sisters of Mercy Hospital in Zagreb, Davor Vagić, told Hina that the hospital is expanding its COVID ward by an extra 12 beds plus eight more intensive care units.

There are currently 60 COVID patients at the hospital and together with the emergency ward, there will be about 100 beds available for patients.

He added that non-essential treatment would be reduced by 25%.

Vagić said that about 550 employees at the hospital had received a third dose of vaccine and immunisation would continue at the the same pace.

The KBC Hospital in Zagreb will also increase its COVID capacities from 113 to 129 and currently there are 108 COVID patients at that university hospital, 17 of whom are on ventilators, the hospital's assistant director Milivoj Novak said.

The Dubrava hospital currently has 135 hospitalised COVID patients and 21 are in ICU and they are all on ventilators.

A Health Ministry task force has recommended that all hospitals expand their COVID capacities.

The Zagreb-based Sveti Duh hospital is currently caring for about 30 COVID patients.

The hospital's head, Mladen Bušić, told Hina that elective surgeries had been reduced to some extent due to acute treatment of COVID-19.

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ZAGREB, 4 May, 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš on Tuesday said that the solution to acute problem of the shortage of radiologists in two hospitals in Zagreb was within the responsibility of those hospitals and that he expects those institutions to provide patients with appropriate and immediate health services.

"The solution to the acute problem of the shortage of radiologists at the Sisters of Mercy hospital and the clinic for treating cancers, which is part of that health institution, is up to the administration at the hospital and I expect them to provide all the patients with the appropriate medical services, and in particular oncology patients and those with grave diseases," said Beroš.

He underscored that patients have to be above organisational problems of an institution.

Beroš underscored that patients must not be left without services because of organisational problems or human relationships.

"That's my clear message to directors and all their associates who are responsible for managing those processes in hospitals. Problems have to be resolved," said Minister Beroš.

He added that Croatia has an increasing number of younger radiologists with experience in working in clinical centres and health institutions that could be the core of creating a system based on the example of developed countries with advanced health systems.

"Creating an efficient system of radiology services at the country level that could provide efficient, quality and financially rational services to a larger number of health institutions that are faced with a shortage of staff such as radiologists, which surfaced in the Sisters of Mercy hospital, are an inevitable step towards resolving this and similar problems," he underscored.

He underscored that as Minister of Health he has already "launched certain activities to provide organised radiology services based on the experiences of other countries that have proved to be efficient and economically justified and are appropriate to our needs and capacities.

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