December 14, 2020 – Zagreb's Clinical Hospital Sveti Duh is the only one in this part of Europe to use gene therapy to treat recently incurable hereditary eye diseases that cause vision loss, ranking Croatia among only six countries in the world that use this therapy in ophthalmology.

As Hina reports, Zagreb's Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital, which became a collaborating center of the World Health Organization last year, is the first regional Center of Excellence for implementing gene therapy for hereditary retinal dystrophies. Patients from about 15 countries, of which more than a third are countries within the European Union, will gravitate to it.

Sixth in the world to apply this method

The final diagnosis, in which this treatment method gives incredible results until recently, is done based on genetic testing, and the first patients received therapy this summer.

Thanks to this well-deserved status of a certified Center of Excellence, Clinical Hospital Sveti Duh positioned the Republic of Croatia as the first country in Eastern and Southeastern Europe to apply this innovative method of treating a hereditary disease that causes blindness. Croatia is also the sixth country in the world (after the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Israel) to do so.

The gene therapy treatment procedure is performed exclusively in certified centers of excellence that must meet all clinical, scientific, technological, and personnel requirements determined by strict and scientifically based regulations of the European Union and the EMA.

"Thanks to this certificate and the decision of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute to cover all treatment costs, patients in Croatia are enabled to treat hereditary retinal dystrophies, for which there was no medical solution until recently. These are pigmented retinopathy and Leber's congenital amaurosis, a very rare eye disease caused by a mutation in the RPE65 gene, which results in certain blindness already in the first years of life, and at the latest in the fourth decade. With such patients, timely application of available gene therapy stops the progression of the disease and can lead to a significant improvement in eyesight," explained prof. Dr. sc. Mladen Bušić, the Clinical Hospital Sveti Duh director.

Lifelong effect

Dr. Bušić points out that their patients subjectively notice easier coping in low light conditions. It also makes them feel that the space in which they move is brighter and better lit.

"From a clinical point of view, their subjective impression was confirmed through our tests, by improving visual acuity in low light conditions, improving contrast vision, and expanding the visual field. All of the above allows them to navigate and move in space, and we believe this effect is lifelong," dr. Bušić pointed out.

This achievement is an additional recognition to the Clinical Hospital Sveti Duh, which confirms the highest professional standards of the Clinical Center of Excellence, this time for the application of an extremely demanding and sophisticated therapeutic procedure.

Costs fully covered

A mutation in one of over 260 different genes causes hereditary retinal dystrophies, so it is crucial to diagnose it in time through genetic testing.

It is estimated that up to 1,000 people in Croatia suffer from hereditary retinal dystrophies. Thus, genetic testing of patients is necessary to identify those in whom an innovative therapeutic solution can be applied.

The Croatian Health Insurance Institute (HZZO) fully covers these testing costs and the costs of treatment for all those patients in whom a mutation in the RPE65 gene causes hereditary retinal dystrophy.

Croatia is the first country in the world to make this possible for its insured citizens.

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December 1, 2020 – Former captain of the Croatia national football team Darijo Srna and the company Enna Fruit organized the delivery of mandarins to six Croatian hospitals.

As 24sata reports, former Croatia football player Darijo Srna (38) donated 15 tons of mandarins to hospitals in Zagreb, Split, and Osijek. In cooperation with the company ENNA Fruit, which organized the delivery of fruit, Srna delighted patients and staff, which was confirmed from the hospital in Split.

In addition to Srna's donation, the company ENNA Fruit also donated two integral disinfection systems that will be used in the hospital in the Zagreb Arena.

"In challenging times, when we are all facing the COVID crisis, it is important, within our capabilities, to be supportive of those who need it most," said Darijo Srna on the occasion of this humanitarian donation, which, as he says, went to the right hands – in KBC Sestre milosrdnice, KBC Dubrava, KBC Rebro, Clinic for Children's Diseases in Zagreb and KBC Split and KBC Osijek.

"Integral disinfection system is an advanced device for measuring body temperature, disinfection of hands, and footwear with the help of a disinfection mat. This device will provide healthcare workers, doctors, and nurses with a safer stay in the hospital and facilitate the daily fight against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19 disease," they said from the ENNA Fruit company as reported by Rogotin.hr.

Darijo Srna has long been known for humanitarian actions, such as the one in 2014 when he bought 20 tons of mandarins, paid for transportation, and donated them to children in Donetsk who were affected by the horrors of war.

"I'm not doing this to have someone say to me: 'Well done, Dario.' This is from the heart and soul of all citizens of Donetsk," said Darijo Srna then.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of April, 2020, Ledo has provided a donation of more than five tonnes of goods worth more than 100,000 kuna to four hospitals in Zagreb and the Good Home (Dobri dom) Institution, which takes care of those who are most in need.

These are packages that contain a number of Ledo's ready-made and frozen products, such as frozen vegetables and fish, meat, and sweet and savory dough.

Ledo made part of this generous donation, amounting to 60,000 in total, to the Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre, the Zagreb Children's Hospital, the "Sveti Duh" Clinic and the "Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infecious Diseases. While through the ''Good Home'' Institution, Ledo donated a further 40,000 kuna worth of Ledo products.

Thus, the largest Croatian producer of ice cream and frozen food has once again shown that small steps build solidarity in emergency situations. This large Ledo donation, along with several smaller ones the company has already provided to the community since the coronavirus crisis began, is part of the Fortenova Group's overall contribution to the communities in which it operates. The total amount of Fortenova Group donations across Croatia and the immediate region has reached four million kuna during so far.

“Ledo is a socially responsible company with a long tradition. With these donations, we want to help to facilitate the work of hospitals, but also to thank all those who are tirelessly fighting the epidemic and helping those who need it the most in this situation. A big thank you goes out to all our employees who, in this emergency, are making an extra effort and showing their dedication to keep the production process running smoothly and to ensure the regular supply of markets in Croatia and across the region,'' said Marin Poljak, CEO of Ledo.

Thanking Ledo for the generous donation, Alen Zupan, the director of the Good Home Institution, emphasised that health and safety in these extraordinary circumstances are our common priority.

"It's therefore important to ensure that the system in which we operate is geared towards the most vulnerable citizens, so that it can cope with the potential spread of the disease, but also to remedy the effects of the severe earthquake which hit the City of Zagreb. Therefore, we'd like to heartily thank Ledo for a truly valuable donation to our Institution, which is intended for all of our fellow citizens in need of social protection who are beneficiaries of our social services,'' said Zupan.

Similarly, Ledo was thanked for the donation by Goran Roic, the director of the Zagreb Children's Hospital in Klaiceva, on behalf of the facility, the staff, and of course its young patients and their parents.

For more on coronavirus in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

Following donations from INA and many other companies who are determined to make sure Croatian hospitals get the equipment they need, more generous donations to Zagreb hospitals have been made in the united fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc with the global economy, not to mention public health. In Croatia, the effects of the outbreak on the economy have been dire and the outlooks continue to look bleak, but when it comes to the health system, the measures put into place to protect lives by the Civil Protection Headquarters have been second to none.

That being said, respirators and other equipment are desperately needed for those who are suffering more seriously from coronavirus, and more and more companies are stepping up in this time of great need.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of April, 2020, Erste Bank has decided to donate a generous sum to to the now very well known ''Dr. Fran Mihaljevic'' Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Zagreb in the amount of one million kuna, with the aim of assisting with the procurement of the necessary medical equipment in the current tense situation where enormous efforts are being made to curb the spread of coronavirus.

In addition, the Erste Card Club decided to donate a massive 300,000 kuna to the Children's Diseases Clinic in Klaiceva street, to help repair the material damage caused by the devastating earthquake that struck Zagreb recently, of which Zagreb hospitals were also a victim.

''The seriousness and complexity of the situation we're currently in requires a responsible reaction from all subjects in the community. In this way, we want to contribute to the efforts to overcome the challenges that lie ahead of us all, and at the same time support physicians and nurses, whose role in the current circumstances is extremely important and deserves great respect,'' said Christoph Schoefboeck, Erste CEO banks on this occasion.

Make sure to follow our dedicated section for information and updates on coronavirus in Croatia, as well as scientific texts by eminent Croatian scientist Igor Rudan.