The patient from Zadar, referred for radiotherapy to the UPMC Hillman centre in Zabok by her oncologist, had to rent a hotel room in which to stay for the duration of the treatment. The association 'Nismo same', to which the patient turned for help, said that upon departure she was not informed that she would have to arrange her own accommodation.
As she is on a pension, she will spend her entire pension on the hotel, the association states. The patient was unable to return home as there was no public transport, and the taxi recommended to her at the hospital was occupied.
HZZO covers transport costs for patients who must travel to a hospital more than 50 kilometres from their place of residence, but not accommodation costs. In Zagreb, there are three accommodation options for patients: the Krž Krst Shelter with 18 double rooms, the Udruga fra Mladen Hrkac with six houses and apartments for 55 people, and the 'Sve za nju' Association offers two rooms for four female patients. Public hospitals sometimes find free beds for patients in one of the wards, while private healthcare providers do not, instead providing patients with the address of a hotel. The UPMC Hillman centre in Zaboke reports that it has treated more than 1,100 patients. Patients have access to PET/CT services at HZZO.
The HZZO states that the UPMC Zagreb is contracted for stereotactic radiotherapy and PET/CT diagnostics within the framework of specialist medical care, but it does not have contracted inpatient bed capacity or a day hospital. The HZZO adds that the costs of hotel or other accommodation are not covered by mandatory health insurance.
According to HZZO data, 873 patients were referred to UPMC in 2026. Of the 873 patients referred to UPMC in 2026, 124 were from Dalmatia, with around 40 from Slavonia and a similar number from Rijeka and Istria. All those who underwent multi-day therapy faced significant additional costs.
The association 'Nismo same' says it helps patients with transport to therapies, but only if it is public hospitals. It believes that private institutions should develop such a service themselves. The president of the association 'Nismo same', Ivana Kalogjera, says: 'If private hospitals are silently part of the public health system, which they clearly are, one must ask why such a complex system is pushing ordinary people into a corner.' She adds: 'It is clear that people are willing to do anything for health, even sell all their property, and those who profit greatly from it are counting on that.' Kalogjera notes that the service of free taxi transport to therapy was developed based on the example of the Netherlands, where the state pays for taxis and hotel accommodation for patients.
