ZAGREB, 22 March, 2021 - COVID wards at 29 hospitals have been equipped with 169 new-generation ventilators valued at a total of HRK 38 million and intended for use in patients of all ages, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry participated in a joint procurement process through the European Commission and secured 169 ventilators from one of the world's most renown producers of medical equipment, GE HealthCare.

The ventilators are intended for use for patients of all ages from newborn babies to adults and can be administered invasively or non-invasively via masks, the ministry said in a press release.

These new-generation ventilators assist doctors in adapting ventilation parameters as well as measuring caloric use which ensures better nutritional support for patients, hence their speedier recovery.

Ventilators could not have arrived at a better time

Health Minister Vili Beroš underlined that the ventilators could not have arrived at a better time considering the increased number of new coronavirus cases, hospitalised patients and those requiring ventilators particularly younger patients suffering for chronic diseases.

Beroš is convinced that the ventilators will contribute to reducing the number of fatal outcomes and provide a quality support to health workers on the front line in the fight against coronavirus.

Beroš thanked the European Commission and government for the support on the road to an even stronger and more effective health system in Croatia.

ZAGREB, 15 March 2021 - The Rijeka Clinical Hospital Centre on Monday received 12 new ventilators that were procured by the Health Ministry with the use of EU funds.

The hospital's director, Alen Ružić, thanked the ministry, government and European Commission for the valuable equipment, underscoring that it would significantly improve working conditions at the hospital and contribute to better patient care as well as improving the quality of treatment.

The ventilators will be put to use immediately in various wards at the hospital but primarily to relieve the work of the respiratory centre with COVID-19 patients, in ICU, and at neurology and pediatric wards. The hospital now has about 60 ventilators which are sufficient to cover the current number of patients.

Health Ministry State-Secretary Željko Plazonić, who chairs the KBC Rijeka steering board, said the ventilators were obtained through a procurement process conducted by the European Commission. They are part of a contingent of 169 ventilators procured for COVID-19 wards in health institutions throughout Croatia. The price of each ventilator is €24,000, Plazonić added.

Answering reporters' questions, Ružić said that due to the new wave of COVID-19 the hospital's level of preparedness had been increased and if need be it would be prepared to open a new COVID ward that would be separated from other wards. He added that due to the increased number of COVID-19 patients, the number of other non-urgent surgical procedures would be partially reduced.

February 1, 2021 - The Croatian Civil Protection Headquarters announced there were fewer than 100 patients on ventilators in Croatia, a figure we haven't seen since November 2, 2020. 

Jutarnji List reports that in the last 24 hours, 94 new SARS-CoV-2 virus infection cases were recorded, and the number of active cases in Croatia today is 2551, the National Civil Protection Headquarters reported.

Among them, 1288 patients are in hospital, of which 98 are on ventilators.

Twenty-seven people died.

Since February 25, 2020, when the first case of infection was recorded in Croatia, 232,520 people infected with the coronavirus have been documented to date, of whom 5,054 have died, a total of 224,915 have recovered, of which 439 in the last 24 hours.

There are currently 14,303 people in self-isolation.

To date, 1,193,006 people have been tested, of which 1,881 in the last 24 hours.

There hasn't been such a small number of new infections since September 28 last year.

"Today, we had 94 registered new cases and 1881 tested. This week we had a total of 3346 new cases. From January 25, we had 134 new cases out of 2423 tested, the week before 174 new cases out of 2369 tested. From January 19 to 25, we had 3926 cases, and this week we have 11.7 percent fewer new cases than in the week before.

The current incidence is 188.8, the highest is. in Sisak-Moslavina (330.4), and the lowest in Istria (55.1). According to the 14-day incidence rate, Croatia ranks seventh in the EU - Denmark, Cyprus, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, and Greece have a lower incidence, and others are higher. The total mortality rate per million people is 1217.7, which puts us in 20th place in the EU," said Krunoslav Capak, director of the CNIPH.

He also spoke about the vaccine.

"41,223 doses were used in health care, 35136 in nursing homes, 1694 in emergency services in Sisak-Moslavina, and the rest for civilians in Sisak-Moslavina County. Regarding side effects, HALMED publishes a list on their website, and by February 1, 430 suspected adverse reactions to Pfizer and 13 suspected for the Moderna vaccine were received. There were 26 allergic reactions to Pfizer, two of which were severe and the others milder. All other side effects related to Pfizer and Moderna are mild," said Capak.

Health Minister Vili Beros said that the curve regarding hospital care is on a downward trend.

"The number of patients on ventilators is below a hundred, and with yesterday's six new it is not as it seems. This is the first time since November 2 that we are under a hundred patients on ventilators," said Beroš.

He also said that the bigger picture should be considered because of the clinical pictures and new strains.

"At the Headquarters, during a daily conversation with epidemiologists, we look at all these elements, we watch the development of events to be ready for all scenarios," he said.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.