Croatia expands mobile family‑medicine ambulances to rural Varaždin and Vukovar‑Srijem

In Varaždin County, the first mobile family‑medicine ambulance began operations, visiting six villages on a weekly schedule. The team consists of Dr. Ivan Balažin, specialist in family medicine, medical technician Emil Ernečić and driver Dražen Cvek. The service, funded through the EU National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021‑2026, aims to bring primary health care directly to remote and rural residents, especially the elderly and chronically ill. A second ambulance is planned for later deployment.

In Vukovar‑Srijem County, three new mobile ambulances are being prepared. Each vehicle, costing around €500,000, is fully financed by the same EU recovery fund. The county expects the units to start operating in the autumn, with staff composed of a family‑medicine doctor, a nurse or medical technician, and a driver. The initiative is intended to ensure that residents of sparsely populated areas have access to regular check‑ups, prescriptions, referrals and home visits, thereby improving the quality of primary health care across the county.