Covid wards at 29 hospitals have been equipped with 169 new-generation ventilators valued at a total of 38 million kuna and intended for use in patients of all ages, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry participated in a joint procurement process through the European Commission and secured 169 ventilators from one of the world’s most renown producers of medical equipment, GE HealthCare.

The ventilators are intended for use for patients of all ages from newborn babies to adults and can be administered invasively or non-invasively via masks, the ministry said in a press release.

These new-generation ventilators assist doctors in adapting ventilation parameters as well as measuring caloric use which ensures better nutritional support for patients, hence their speedier recovery.

Health Minister Vili Beros underlined that the ventilators could not have arrived at a better time considering the increased number of new coronavirus cases, hospitalised patients and those requiring ventilators particularly younger patients suffering for chronic diseases.

Beros is convinced that the ventilators will contribute to reducing the number of fatal outcomes and provide a quality support to health workers on the front line in the fight against coronavirus.

Beros thanked the European Commission and government for the support on the road to an even stronger and more effective health system in Croatia.