Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre has become the first public hospital in Croatia to introduce photon-counting CT, the most advanced generation of computed tomography.
The €3.5 million investment represents a major technological upgrade for Croatian radiology, providing patients with higher-quality images, more precise diagnoses and, in many cases, lower radiation exposure.
By counting individual X-ray photons, the new scanner provides exceptionally detailed images of the inside of the body, giving doctors substantially more information for the early detection of disease and treatment planning.
The technology is particularly valuable in diagnosing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, tumours, and pulmonary and neurological conditions, as well as examining the smallest anatomical structures that have previously been more difficult to detect. In cardiac examinations, for example, it provides a significantly clearer view of narrowing and plaque in the coronary arteries, while in suspected cases of malignancy it can identify abnormalities that may have been less visible with conventional scanners. Its high image resolution and ability to distinguish between different types of tissue therefore offer an entirely new level of diagnostic precision.
This technology significantly improves the quality of healthcare and further strengthens the leading role of Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre in Croatian medicine
Fran Borovečki, Director of Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre
Minister of Health Irena Hrstić stressed that the scanner is also part of a €20 million investment programme to equip Zagreb Clinical Hospital Centre under Croatia’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, further improving the quality of diagnosis and treatment.”
Alongside the photon-counting CT scanner, the Minister announced that the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology will also receive a next-generation 3-tesla MRI scanner, a CT-DSA system, and a digital X-ray system with fluoroscopy capabilities for imaging hospitalised patients.
