Medical Dispatch Unit

The Medical Dispatch Unit is the central point of each county institute of emergency medicine where all calls to the number 194 are received, and it coordinates the work of all teams in the field. Calls are received and processed in a standardized manner according to the Croatian Index for Receiving Emergency Calls for Medical Dispatch Unit, thereby standardising the receiving method in all Croatian counties. In communication with the caller, medical dispatchers gather essential information, determine the priority for each case, decide on the appropriate intervention approach and, if necessary, promptly send a trained and equipped team to the scene. Additionally, medical dispatchers, when needed, guide callers in providing first aid to the patient until the arrival of the emergency medical service (EMS) team.

The Croatian Index for Receiving Emergency Calls for Medical Dispatch Unit presents guidelines for the work of medical dispatchers in medical dispatch units that allow them to correctly and consistently assign priorities to each emergency medical call and decide on the type of EMS response. Considering all factors and guidelines, dispatchers at medical dispatch units decide whether a ground, air or maritime EMS team will be sent to an emergency response.