Croatian Health Minister Irena Hrstić Highlights Tourist Ambulance Rollout in Istria

Health Minister Irena Hrstić visited the newly opened tourist medical stations in Poreč and Pula, showcasing a mobile ambulance that is one of 33 units purchased for all 20 Croatian counties with more than €5.3 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. She stressed that the system now brings health services to the patient’s doorstep, especially for the summer tourist season.

By 7 July the Poreč station had delivered 683 services and the Pula station 476. In the 2025 season, 16.2 million tourists visited nine counties and requested care over 120 000 times; tourist ambulances handled more than 15 200 of those visits, relieving family‑medicine practices and emergency departments. The programme aims for 62 locations across 11 counties by 2026, with 50 already operating in July, and has received over €620 000 for equipment and premises upgrades in the past three years.