Health Minister Associate Professor Irena Hrstić, PhD, visited the construction site of a new healthcare centre and pharmacy in Ljubešćica. The €3.6 million project will improve healthcare services for approximately 30,000 residents in the wider area between Novi Marof and Varaždinske Toplice.
The building, the first new facility to be added to the Varaždin County Health Centre in more than 30 years, will bring together family medicine and dental practices, a specialist outpatient clinic, a nursing counselling service, community nursing services, rooms for a psychologist and a speech therapist, and a pharmacy under one roof. The second floor will also provide accommodation for doctors as an incentive for them to move to and remain in Ljubešćica.
Minister Hrstić said that these facilities are fully aligned with the Ministry of Health’s strategic plan. “Primary healthcare should be provided as close as possible to people’s homes, and therefore to our patients, so that it is available to them as quickly as possible and at the highest possible quality,” she said.
The construction is being financed by the Ministry of Health, Varaždin County—which also donated the land—the Municipality of Ljubešćica, and the Varaždin County Health Centre and Pharmacy. Before visiting the site, the Minister met with representatives of these institutions and described their partnership as a good example of cooperation between local and regional authorities. She thanked County Prefect Anđelko Stričak and the County for consistently following the Ministry’s strategic guidelines.
Municipal Mayor Nenad Horvatić outlined the next steps: the second phase of construction is expected to begin in April next year, while the healthcare centre and pharmacy are expected to become fully operational by spring 2028.
Plans also include the construction of affordable housing next to the new facility, an initiative welcomed by the Minister. “I believe that in two years’ time, many young families will be living here and, if needed, will have access to healthcare services,” she said.
County Prefect Stričak highlighted the broader investment programme: “The Varaždin County Health Centre has never seen as much investment as it has over the past year or two.” He added that the County aims to ensure balanced development across all its areas, so that residents enjoy comparable living conditions regardless of where they live.
The same objective is being pursued at national level through the Draft Amendments to the Public Healthcare Network, presented on 27 October. The proposal would allow a single medical team to work across multiple locations. “Every citizen, whether living in a large city, a small town or on an island, deserves equal access to healthcare,” Minister Hrstić emphasised.
