June the 14th, 2026 – Croatia is set to take healthcare services on the road with mobile clinics planning to visit more remote villages and islands this summer.
A brand new approach to healthcare is beginning in one of Croatia’s most geographically challenging regions – the expansive Zadar County. This summer, mobile medical teams will bring primary care services directly to rural communities and islands.
Instead of residents travelling long distances to reach a doctor, the healthcare system is moving closer to patients, with mobile clinics set to visit smaller settlements, remote areas, and island communities across Zadar County. The first mobile clinics are scheduled to begin operating within the next couple of days, covering areas of the Dalmatian hinterland including Benkovac and Obrovac, Gračac, and then coastal regions and islands like Biograd and Pag as part of a wider effort to improve access to medical care outside major towns.
The idea is a very simple but likely effective one, and that is to bring basic healthcare services directly to people who may struggle with transport, distance, or limited local medical options, such as those in remote villages or on one of the Zadar archipelago’s more far-flung islands. These mobile healthcare units will provide services normally associated with family medicine, including preventive check-ups, basic diagnostics, prescriptions, referrals, and monitoring of patients with chronic conditions.
The project is especially aimed at older residents and people living in smaller communities where maintaining permanent medical facilities can be difficult. For many island and rural residents, access to healthcare is not just about having a doctor nearby, it’s also about something as basic as geography.
Croatia’s heavily indented coastline includes hundreds of inhabited islands with a large number of smaller settlements where population numbers fluctuate throughout the year. During summer, tourism brings millions of visitors, but outside the main season many communities rely on limited infrastructure. Mobile healthcare services are increasingly being viewed as one solution to that challenge.
The national programme behind the initiative includes specially equipped medical vehicles designed to function as “clinics on wheels”, allowing healthcare workers to provide services in areas where traditional facilities are harder to maintain. Zadar County is also preparing additional healthcare services for the tourist season, including dedicated tourist clinics in several coastal and island locations.
The move highlights a wider issue facing Croatia: how to maintain quality public services in a country with an ageing population, depopulated rural areas, and a large number of geographically separated communities. For residents of smaller villages and islands, the arrival of a mobile clinic could mean fewer journeys, faster access, and a more practical healthcare system.
