Croatia launches nationwide Helicopter Emergency Medical Service

Medical helicopter (Illustration)

ZAGREB, 26 March (Hina) – The Helicopter Emergency Medical Service is expected to begin operations in six days, Health Minister Vili Beroš said in Osijek on Sunday, adding that the HEMS will cover the country’s entire territory from four air bases and ensure faster and better assistance for citizens.

Fifty doctors and 50 nurses underwent HEMS training, Beroš said, adding that the air bases will be located in Osijek and Zagreb as well as on the islands of Krk and Brač, and they will be connected to hospitals in Osijek, Zagreb, Rijeka and Dubrovnik.

A heliport is being built in Slavonski Brod for this purpose and heliports will also be built in Pula and Zadar, the minister said. 

The establishment of the HEMS cost €62.5 million, of which €10 million is an EU grant, he added. 

Quality, Fast, and Accessible Medical Care

Deputy Director of the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine, Damir Važanić, highlighted that the education part has now been completed

“Equipped with specific knowledge and skills necessary for work in a helicopter, they are ready to start a service that provides quality, fast, and accessible emergency medical care to all citizens,” he added.

The final part of the education included the technical and medical aspects of working in a helicopter. The technical part involves acquiring knowledge about aviation and aviation regulations, aviation terminology, flight theory, passenger distribution, meteorology, standard operating procedures, and communication between crew members before flight, as well as procedures in crisis situations and the specifics of physiological effects of flying.

#VladaRH pokreće Helikoptersku hitnu medicinsku službu u Hrvatskoj. Nakon završenih edukacija medicinskih timova u Zagrebu, Osijeku, Rijeci i Splitu spremni smo za uspostavljanje #HHMS, kojom objedinjujemo hitnu medicinsku službu u 🇭🇷 – na kopnu, moru i zraku. #ZdravljeJePrvo pic.twitter.com/vcNW7ByeSU

— Vlada Republike Hrvatske (@VladaRH) March 25, 2024

The medical aspect of education places special emphasis on the practical learning and training process in the helicopter, including learning through simulations of different scenarios based on real clinical circumstances and medical pathologies that HHMS teams will encounter when caring for emergency patients.