INA helps children’s departments of health institutions

Zagreb, January 24, 2024 - The youngest and most vulnerable, as well as all other patients of Croatian hospitals, will have the opportunity for better treatment and better outcomes thanks to the donation provided by INA for hospitals.

From the sands of the Dakar Rally, Juraj Šebalj rushed to Sisters of Mercy Clinical Hospital Center in Zagreb to cheer up the little ones undergoing treatment. He was accompanied by fellow rallyist Viliam Prodan, Ida Prester, Jelena Glišić and representatives of the INA Management Board. INA's mascot took care of even more laughter and joy. The reason for their arrival was the donation of the largest Croatian oil company to the hospital in the amount of 40,000 euros. This is part of a wider initiative in which the company is helping health institutions throughout Croatia with the purchase of necessary medical devices and space renovation with 200,000 euros. Patients and staff of the Sisters of Mercy Clinical Hospital Center in Zagreb, General Hospital "Dr. Ivo Pedišić" in Sisak, KBC Split, Osijek and Rijeka, Clinics for Children's Diseases Zagreb, General Hospital Bjelovar and Dubrovnik and the Special Hospital for the Protection of Children with Neurodevelopmental and Motor Disorders, Goljak, Zagreb, will now have better treatment and work conditions thanks to INA. The donation to Sisters of Mercy Clinical Hospital Center in Zagreb, which will be used for the decoration of the Pediatric Clinic, was presented by the President of the Board of Ina Zsuzsanna Ortutay and member of the INA Management Board Miroslav Skalicki.

Director of the hospital prof. Davor Vagić thanked INA for the donation and stated: "Knowing that INA's basic criteria for awarding the donation are the uniqueness, quality and usefulness of the project for the wider social community, I can express great satisfaction that Sisters of Mercy Hospital and our Pediatric Clinic are recognized as an indispensable part a commendable donor project. This gesture shows that it is our common task to take care of our youngest patients and help them." Head of the Clinic for Pediatrics, prof. Orjena Žaja emphasizes that the donation arrives at the moment of beautiful anniversaries - the clinic marks 120 years of operation, and INA 60 years: "Back in 1904, the noble Radovan Marković founded the first children's department in Croatia and in the whole of Southeast Europe. This juxtaposes the foundations of a more modern approach in general clinical and social paediatrics and children's infectious diseases. The rich tradition and visionary work continue to this day. With the donation, we will improve the accommodation facilities in the hospital, get new beds, tables and wardrobes, all with the aim of making the stay as pleasant and beautiful as possible for the children who have to stay in the hospital."

"Since its establishment 60 years ago, INA has continuously helped the communities in which it operates. We are especially sensitive to our children and the most vulnerable groups, for whom we want to ensure a more pleasant present and an even better future. We are aware of the challenges in which the Croatian health system operates, as well as the long-term reconstruction of the consequences of the earthquakes that damaged the hospital buildings in the affected areas, and that is why we want to help them to ensure better outcomes for the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society", said the president of the INA Management Board Zsuzsanna Ortutay.

In the last 12 years alone, INA has donated almost 1.2 million euros to the healthcare system of the Republic of Croatia. For this year's donation, INA also received thanks from other hospitals. "We thank INA for the valuable donation that enables us to purchase devices with which we will provide our patients with a higher standard in our work. We are planning to purchase devices for heating/cooling children's bodies and a 12-channel ECG holter, which are important diagnostic tools for the treatment of cardiology patients. It is about top medical equipment with which we will improve the work of the medical staff of our Pediatric Clinic to the satisfaction of us and our patients," said Associate Professor Ph.D. Iva Bilić Čače, MD from the Pediatric Clinic of KBC Rijeka.

Thanks to a donation from INA, the Special hospital for the protection of children with neurodevelopmental and motor disabilities from Zagreb will renovate the dining rooms. "Thank you INA! Our dining rooms of the Mother-Child Department and Mother-Child Day Hospital will now provide even better conditions for our youngest patients who are undergoing rehabilitation accompanied by their parents and live outside the city of Zagreb. Annually, we perform about 10,000 specialist examinations in addition to 5,000 diagnostic procedures, and we care for about 1,900 children outside the Zagreb area and four times as many children in the Zagreb area," said the director, Dr. sc. Ivana Kern, MD.

INA has once again shown that it always stands by the communities in which it operates. More information is available at https://donacije-bolnicama.ina.hr/.