Medical Care on Hvar
Fevers, tooth aches, tummy issues… it’s all part of life, particularly when you have kids. But these minor issues can quickly snowball in a foreign country and derail a family holiday. This guide briefly explains how to keep everyone safe and healthy on the island of Hvar. For any additional support, please contact Mira, our parent liaison and a Hvar native, who can help you navigate local care systems.
The Pharmacy
For minor issues, you’ll want to head to the pharmacy (ljekarna, pron. lye-kar-nuh). As in other parts of Europe, it’s the shop with a big green cross over the door. Your pharmacist may speak English but, if not, here are some terms to help make yourself understood.
Patch up scrapes and cuts with band-aids (flaster or hansaplast) and a bottle of Octenisept spray, a painless antibacterial. Ibuprofen is called Brufen.
For fever and other flu symptoms, adults can take MaxFlu tablets (1-2 every 4-6 hours) which dissolve in water. For fever only, kids who can take syrup use Nurofen (dosage by age or weight is on the back of the box - mjeseci means months; godine means years, and puta means times). Babies take suppositories (čepić, pron. cheh-pich) usually from the Lupocet brand: 1 every 6 hours for children under one year or 10kg; 1-2 every 6 hours for older children.
For heartburn (žgaravica, pron. zhga-ra-vi-tsa), Waya StopFlux is a common brand. Waya Lax is a popular treatment for constipation (zatvor) - there is a kids (Waya Lax Junior) and adult version.
Novalac is a popular prenatal vitamin. The full array of family planning and maternity products are available. Treatments for yeast and vaginosis are also sold over the counter.
Non-urgent Care
Private medical care is generally good and quite affordable in Croatia.
Doctor - Đoni Planjar (pron. Johnny Plahn-yar) is respected diagnostician and excellent family doctor. He speaks perfect English and works at the health center above the pharmacy in Stari Grad. To book an appointment, call: +385 21 766 200.
Dentist - Dental Centar Tomić in Jelsa is an easy walk from Fontana and a favorite of many families in Jelsa. Dr. Tomić speaks excellent English. To book an appointment, call: +385 091 236 3330.
There are also a number of specialist clinics in Split. Hormona is a gynecologists office. Bagatin offers dermatology and plastic surgery. Svjetlost does eye surgery, including lasik.
Urgent Care
In an emergency, call an ambulance. Dial the emergency number 112 on your phone, not WhatsApp, even if you do not have a local phone plan. There is an emergency room in Jelsa that is one-minute by car from the Fontana Resort. In life-threatening situations, a helicopter will take patients to the hospital in Split, which is a large, modern facility. The flight takes 20 minutes. When strong winds prevent the helicopter from flying, the ferries are sometimes used to transport people in need of critical care.
In non-vital situations, including broken bones, the patient and his or her family will need to go to Split by ferry, which may take several hours. After the injured or unwell person is in care, please notify Mira. She will join your family or coordinate support so that you are able to understand medical staff and what is happening.
Travel Health Insurance
The Field School of Hvar strongly encourages families to purchase travel health insurance for the entire duration of their visit. As in other countries, Croatia has both public and private health providers. All hospitals and emergency facilities are public. Many doctors, dentists, and other specialists for minor, out-patient issues are private. At a minimum, your insurance will cover expenses from public institutions, that is, major accidents and illnesses which would warrant a visit to the emergency room. Most other expenses are relatively minor.
We can recommend IMG as a travel health insurance provider, but it’s best to compare prices and coverage from 3-4 major companies to find the plan that best suits your family and needs.