An analysis of European healthcare systems in nine countries during the pandemic shows that emergency services on the most part functioned normally in Croatia and in France, while problems were registered with prenatal care and cancer treatment, the Vecernji List daily reported on Friday.

The analysis was conducted by the BFF banking group on the socio-economic future of Europe’s healthcare system in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Vecernji List carried highlights form that BFF study entitled “Building the future of European healthcare systems – a comprehensive analysis of the experience of 9 EU countries in facing and managing Covid- 19 pandemic challenges.”

The study analyses and compares the healthcare systems in Italy, Croatia, France, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain.

It notes that, in most countries, the pandemic seriously impacted the use of health services that were not related to the contagion. Some Covid-19 cases were not revealed and the virus had a large indirect impact on people who were not infected with the virus. In most countries, access to outpatient services was limited. On the other hand, when it comes to hospital services that required overnight stay in health institutions, the situation in most countries was better to some extent.

As far as prenatal care is concerned, Croatia ranked among those countries where that service was partially limited.

Services related to diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, diabetes and asthma ranked Croatia as average registering certain disruptions in the system.

A similar situation was identified with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

According to opinions by the experts In Poland and Portugal, temporary suspension of treatment occurred occasionally. Croatia, similarly to Italy and France experienced short-term disruptions and partial suspension of cancer treatment.