Croatia opens access to 7,000 more hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments

Hyperbaric oxygen chamber (Illustration/ Hyperbaric Center of Queens/CC BY-SA 4.0)

ZAGREB, 27 September 2026 – Croatia’s national health insurer has opened a tender for an additional 7,000 hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments as part of an effort to reduce waiting lists.

The Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) announced the tender on 23 September, saying the additional procedures would be provided until the end of 2026.

The measure is intended to improve access to hyperbaric oxygen therapy and ensure more even availability of the treatment across Croatia.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves patients breathing oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure inside a specialised chamber. It is used in a range of medical situations where increased oxygen delivery to tissues is required.

HZZO said the decision was specifically linked to reducing waiting lists.

The announcement comes as the Croatian healthcare system continues to expand and adjust contracted services in response to demand.

HZZO has also announced other changes to healthcare provision this month.

The insurer said it had approved conditions for contracting and financing the treatment of patients with bleeding oesophageal varices within the national Interventional Gastroenterology Network.

It has also selected 281 doctors without specialisation whose work will be financed under supervision, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s healthcare workforce.

Another recent development concerns medicines.

HZZO has published updated basic and supplementary medicine lists, with the new lists taking effect from 1 October 2026.

Among the changes, HZZO announced that tirzepatide has been added to its supplementary medicine list for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The insurer said the decision took into account the medicine’s mechanism of action and the high price of the original packaging.

The combination of additional treatment capacity, new medicines and recruitment measures reflects a series of healthcare changes being implemented during September.

For patients waiting for hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the key change is the additional capacity of 7,000 procedures through the end of December.

The distribution of the treatments is intended to take into account availability across the country rather than concentrating the additional capacity in a single location.

Further details on contracted providers and access arrangements will depend on the outcome of the HZZO tender.