Following an appeal by an association of parents of children with complex health needs, Zadar General Hospital has provided a detailed response on the possibilities and limitations of pediatric care and announced new procedures during 2026.
Opća bolnica Zadar officially responded on Tuesday to the association Zaratinići, which had earlier raised concerns about healthcare access for children with complex medical needs in Zadar County. In its statement, the hospital clarified its position within the healthcare system and shared its plans for advancing pediatric services. The response came after the association's initial inquiry on July 20, repeated on July 30 due to no reaction, and finally received on August 10 following public and media attention.
The Pediatrics Department emphasized that they provide only secondary healthcare and operate as an acute general hospital, not a tertiary pediatric center. "OB Zadar does not have a pediatric intensive care unit," the response states. An additional issue is that primary pediatric care lacks continuous on-call service, especially outside regular working hours.
Consequently, the hospital's pediatric emergency intake handles a significant number of patients who, in a better-organized system, could be managed at the primary level. "This further burdens the capacities intended for acute hospital care," they stress.
The hospital also addressed specific requests for procedures like PEG tube replacement, tracheostomy cannula changes, or NIV adjustments. They noted that such highly specialized interventions are not currently performed at the department because they require specific professional, organizational, and technical conditions, and are typically carried out in tertiary centers. The association Zaratinići finds this part particularly significant, as they point out that some of these procedures, which the system labels as highly specialized, parents of children with complex needs perform at home daily.
Nevertheless, the hospital assures this does not signal a halt in development. During 2026, several new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are planned in gastroenterology, pulmonology, neonatology, cardiology, and neuropediatrics. Additionally, there are plans to renovate spaces, acquire new equipment, and relocate the entire Pediatrics department to a refurbished building.
While the hospital understands parents' desire to have more pediatric services closer to home, it emphasizes that introducing new services cannot be done unilaterally. "Their introduction depends on professional and technical conditions, the Public Health Service Network, contracting with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), and the competencies of the Ministry of Health," the response states.
The hospital expressed readiness to participate in discussions on developing pediatric palliative care and to partner in aspects that fall under hospital healthcare. "Such a system is not the responsibility of just one hospital, but requires coordination among primary healthcare, the Health Center, Zadar County, HZZO, the Ministry of Health, and other relevant stakeholders," the response concludes.
The association welcomes the hospital's willingness to talk but stresses that the key question is what necessary care can be safely and professionally provided closer to children's homes. Association president Iva Tokić states: "From the beginning, we have not asked for OB Zadar to take on the role of a tertiary center, nor do we believe that one institution can solve this problem alone." Their goal, they say, is to determine what healthcare can be safely and expertly brought closer to children in Zadar County, with all relevant parties involved. The hospital says it is open to joint discussions and concrete proposals, with the shared aim of ensuring safe, quality, and sustainable care for children and their families.
