In the first half of August, an average of 287 patients passed through the Emergency Department daily, 5 percent more than last year. The hospital appeals to citizens and tourists to use primary health care.
The Emergency Department (ED) of Zadar General Hospital is operating under exceptional strain this season. Alongside local patients, a large number of tourists arrive daily, and the pressure on the emergency department during the tourist season is increasing year after year, confirmed by the Director's Office for Antena Zadar.
According to the latest information, in July 2026, there were 7,717 admissions, averaging approximately 249 patients each day. From August 1 to 15, there were 4,308 admissions, meaning nearly 287 patients per day. This is about 5 percent more patients than in the same period last year.
In July, 11.1 percent of all patients who went through the ED were hospitalized, while in the first half of August, this share was 10.3 percent. For comparison, last year these shares were 11.8 percent in July and 10.6 percent in the first half of August.
Many patients arrive in triage categories 4 and 5, which does not imply that their visit is unjustified, but it does indicate that a large portion of health needs could be met at other levels of the health system.
We are aware of the crowds and long waits at the ED, and we apologize to patients for that. We are constantly doing everything in our power to improve the flow of the system, speed up processing, and give priority to those who need hospital care most urgently. However, the hospital cannot solve this challenge on its own.
From the Director's Office, they once again ask citizens and tourists that, if it is not an urgent case, they do not bypass the levels of health care. Depending on the ailment, they recommend using a pharmacy, a family medicine doctor, an on-call or tourist clinic, and other forms of primary health care, while the ED should only be used when urgent hospital diagnostics and treatment are needed.
The ZDoctor platform can also be useful in this regard, as it enables citizens and tourists to more easily find available health services and the nearest clinic. Tourist clinics serve their purpose, but past experience shows that their capacities and organization are not yet sufficient to significantly reduce the burden on the ED. The entire system, from primary health care to the hospital, must function better, because simply increasing the number of staff at the ED will not solve the problem if more and more patients are sent directly to the hospital emergency service.
Finally, they emphasize that Zadar General Hospital will, as before, take all measures to ensure patient safety and the availability of emergency hospital care for all who need it.
