HZZO to fund 6,900 hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments

The Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) has decided to contract 6,900 hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) procedures to reduce patient waiting lists. HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber to increase blood oxygen levels, aiding tissue repair. The treatment is used for diabetic foot complications, non-healing wounds, radiation-induced tissue damage, and severe infections, potentially preventing amputations.

Providers have been selected across four regions. In the Zagreb region, Poliklinika Marija, Poliklinika Oxy, and Poliklinika Oxivita were chosen. The Rijeka region will include Poliklinika Oxy branches in Pula and Crikvenica, alongside the Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka. For the Osijek region, Poliklinika Slavonija was selected, and Poliklinika Marin Med will serve the Split region.

The Croatian Alliance of Diabetic Associations welcomed the decision as a significant step forward but warned that 6,900 procedures are insufficient for a permanent solution. Davor Skeledžija, an executive board member of the alliance, emphasized the need for a systematic increase in treatment accessibility to avoid relying on extraordinary tenders to manage waiting lists every year.