September 21, 2019 - Could Biograd na Moru be Croatia's next big health tourism destination?
HRTurizam writes that the last session of the Biograd City Council discussed the strategy of developing medical tourism in Biograd na Moru.
The Strategy of Development of Biograd na Moru has defined tourism as one of the main drivers of economic development, especially health tourism, where Biograd na Moru sees a great opportunity. The backbone of all is the Biograd Special Orthopedic Hospital in the heart of the Adriatic, with an ideal climate according to the Koppen classification.
As Biograd na Moru points out, the proposal for a Decision on adopting the Strategy for the Development of Medical Tourism in Biograd na Moru was presented by a Ph.D Branko Vitale, MD.
“Biograd has an ideal climate for climate therapy and medical-rehabilitation tourism, which includes a gerontology and geriatric center. The project is being prepared for an international competition in Norway, and we have a lot of support from the Ministry of Health and the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP), an association of American professionals from Croatia,” said Vitale, who launched the Biograd Initiative for the Medical-Tourism Center project.
Namely, the US mega clinic Cleveland Clinic, which is led by Croatian Tomislav Mihaljevic and employs over 60,000 people, has 7.5 million patients and annual revenues of about $10 billion. The annual ACAP conference will be held on September 21, which will present the Biograd project of medical-rehabilitation tourism within a 15-minute presentation.
“Biograd na Moru, with its health and tourism facilities, has all the preconditions to develop into the leading gerontology and geriatric center of the European Union, by providing a fully-rounded medical-rehabilitation, tourism, and cultural center. All these activities additionally ensure the use of all quality accommodation facilities and thus year-round employment, not only in Biograd, but also in the wider region,” says Vitale, pointing out the construction of a large retirement village not far from the Adria Hotel.
Vitale adds that the center will be operated according to the Scandinavian model. Moreover, the Orthopedic Hospital is the backbone of the development of Biograd, and in four years, it must be at the EU level, or it will not be, according to Vitale.
The climate therapy and medical-rehabilitation tourism project, which also includes the gerontology and geriatric center in Biograd, is supported by the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP), an association of American professionals from Croatia, whose members represent all sides of the international professional community, such as scientists, doctors, engineers, lawyers, artists, journalists, business executives, accountants, and more.
The newly reconstructed system of the hospital as an integral part of the cluster envisages the Center for Geriatric Orthopedics, the first Croatian Center for Gerontology and Geriatrics, the Rehabilitation Center, the Specialist Counselling Center and the Education Center.
"We have potential investors, primarily Norwegians. We have already been to Norway, and they will come to Biograd twice by the end of the year, so that we can receive lessons for applying for an international competition to the Government of Norway and the University Hospital in Oslo for the construction of a gerontology and geriatric center in Biograd. The Germans are interested in Red Harbor for their health needs, mainly respiratory diseases and asthma. Here, as in the Adria Hotel, there is excellent accommodation for the patients of the gerontology and geriatric center. A retirement village will be built near the Adria Hotel, which will accommodate over 500 people, and a tourist complex with thousands of beds will be built on the island of Pasman. These are all potential users of the Gerontology and Geriatric Center, and flight connections with Norway, America, and other countries will be established,” says Vitale, adding that it is necessary to form a Dalmatia cluster to enter the world market in cooperation with Kvarner.
The mentioned medical content is aimed primarily at the treatment of diseases of the third age, which requires a lot of professionals, emphasizes Vitale, and concludes: “The project of the medical-tourist orthopedic-rehabilitation center in Biograd is bound to succeed. We have Norwegians and Americans, and the City of Biograd. We also have good personal relationships with people who want to help Biograd and Croatia. All heads should go under one cap. We in Biograd, Zadar County and the Republic of Croatia must be unique in this project of the century. If there is a setback, the project can slow down but not stop.”
Finally, it should be noted that the Decision on submitting a letter of intent to exercise the founding rights and obligations of the Special Orthopedic Hospital was made at the City Council of Biograd na Moru.
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