In the organization of the County of Istria, the Special Hospital for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation "Martin Horvat" and the Teaching Institute for Public Health of the County of Istria, a professional symposium entitled "Health challenges and care for employees from different parts of the world in the County of Istria" was held this Wednesday in the hall "Višnja Prokić" at the Special Hospital in Rovinj.
In the introductory part of the symposium, on behalf of the host, the Director of the Special Hospital for Orthopedics and Rehabilitation "Martin Horvat", Barbara Peruško, addressed the audience, expressing her satisfaction with the large number of experts and lecturers gathered. She also thanked for the opportunity to discuss this important topic in Rovinj. The Director of the Teaching Institute of Public Health of the Istrian County, Aleksandar Stojanović, MD, welcomed the attendees and emphasized the importance and role of public health in facing the challenges of health and preventive care for workers from distant countries, as well as the significance of the services provided by the Institute.
The Deputy Prefect of the Istrian County, Gordana Antić, MD, expressed her satisfaction with the organization of the symposium, which brought together about a hundred experts from the health and social system of the Istrian County. She pointed out that the large turnout of lecturers and participants, as well as the involvement of institutions such as the Istrian Health Centers, the Pula General Hospital, the Istrian County Teaching Institute for Public Health, Istrian Pharmacies, and nursing homes founded by the Istrian County, testifies to the high level of the conference and the expressed need for education and exchange of experiences with the aim of providing the highest quality health care to foreign workers.
This was followed by a presentation entitled "Foreign workers as part of the community: adapting the healthcare system to new demographic challenges", given by Deputy Antić. In her presentation, she emphasized how global migration and demographic changes are increasingly shaping the Istrian County, with foreign workers becoming an indispensable part of the local community. She emphasized that their arrival is not only a response to the labor shortage, but also an opportunity for economic growth, knowledge exchange and demographic revitalization.
She particularly highlighted key challenges for the healthcare system, including language and communication barriers, cultural differences, administrative obstacles, and specificities in the treatment and mental health of foreign workers. She emphasized that these challenges can lead to misunderstandings of therapy, late inclusion in the system, and increased pressure on healthcare services.
Speaking about solutions, Antić highlighted the need to strengthen language support, develop multilingual information materials and introduce interpreters in healthcare institutions, as well as simplify access to the healthcare system through better information and administrative adaptation. Special emphasis was placed on prevention, education of healthcare professionals on intercultural communication and development of mental health support programs.
In conclusion, she emphasized that the health system must be flexible and inclusive because foreign workers are not temporary beneficiaries, but equal members of the community. Deputy County Prefect Dr. Gordana Antić sent a strong final message that health is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right, and a system that is inclusive is also a system that survives. The symposium brings together numerous health professionals and experts from the Pula General Hospital, the Istrian County Teaching Institute for Public Health, and cooperating institutions in the field of health, including the NZJZ "Andrija Štampar" and KBC Rijeka, with the aim of exchanging knowledge and experiences on the increasingly topical topic of health care for workers coming from neighboring and distant countries.
In the context of growing migration trends, emphasis is placed on adapting the healthcare system to new demographic challenges and improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare.
The key objectives of the conference include improving knowledge about the health specificities of foreign workers, reducing the risk of misdiagnosis and therapy, improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients of different cultural backgrounds, and preparing the system for long-term migration changes. The symposium will also include discussions that enable active participation of participants and exchange of experiences from everyday practice. The conclusions and summaries of the lectures will be compiled in a manual that will be distributed to healthcare institutions.
Organizers emphasize that healthcare for foreign workers is a continuous and dynamic process that requires constant adaptation of the system to real needs on the ground.
This symposium represents an important step towards a more systematic and high-quality approach to healthcare for all community members, regardless of their background.
