The Ambassador of the Federar Republic of Germany to Croatia, Prof. Dr. Pascal Hector, visited the International Medical Center Priora in Čepin, near Osijek. “This hospital is a remarkable example of doctors returning from Germany to Croatia.”
Priora is a specialized private hospital known, among other things, for its physicians who have returned to Croatia after building decades-long careers in Germany, bringing their extensive expertise back to colleagues in Slavonia. This was the key reason for the ambassador’s visit.
IMC Priora – an example of doctors returning from Germany
“As the new German Consul, I arrived in Croatia four months ago. I wanted to get to know the entire country, all its regions, because Croatia is not only Zagreb and the coast. That is why I came to Slavonia. When I asked our Honorary Consul, Ivica Škojo, what to visit in the Osijek area, he immediately recommended Priora because it is an example of doctors returning from Germany to Croatia rather than leaving the country. I am truly impressed by that,” said German Ambassador Pascal Hector. Ivica Škojo, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, and Igor Kolman, Policy Advisor and Head of Public Relations at the German Embassy, accompanied him.
The Director of Priora and urologist, Mr. Sc. Tomislav Kalem, who led a private department in the German hospital Lauterbach for nearly two decades, introduced the ambassador and his team to the organization and work of IMC Priora.
IMC Priora raises the standard of urology: first robotic prostate procedures in Croatia
“We are proud to have encouraged doctors and nurses to return from abroad and build their careers and lives in Čepin and Slavonia. Our team also includes German physician Dr. Georg Schön, under whose mentorship the first robotic prostate cancer surgery in Croatia was performed here at Priora in June 2024, using the revolutionary Da Vinci robotic system,” said Dr. Kalem.
In addition to Da Vinci, the hospital is equipped with the Mona Lisa robotic system for targeted prostate biopsies, making it one of the few medical institutions in Europe with both technologies.
Ambassador’s impressions of the hospital’s organization and work
“Our Department of Plastic, Esthetic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery is led by Prof. Dr. Sc. Milomir Ninković, a renowned plastic surgeon who headed one of the largest plastic surgery departments in Germany, at the Bogenhausen Hospital in Munich. Together with colleagues in Innsbruck, Professor Ninković performed the world’s first bilateral hand transplant from a deceased donor, transplanting them to an Austrian police officer injured in a bomb explosion 25 years ago,” added Director Kalem.
Ambassador Hector also met with Assoc. Prof. Prim. Dr. Sc. Aleksandar Kibel, Head of Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Priora. As a professor at the Osijek Medical School, Dr. Kibel has extensive experience teaching German to students. He explained that he had considered working in Germany himself, but the opportunity to work at Priora motivated him to stay in Croatia.
The ambassador also met Marijan Mijić, a medical technician who recently returned from Germany together with his wife, Maja, also a medical professional. Both are now part of the Priora team.
“I am very impressed with the hospital’s organization, appearance, and cleanliness, especially the fact that so many medical specialties operate within one institution. I can imagine that patients feel very safe and well cared for here. It is excellent that patients do not need to stay long in the hospital thanks to minimally invasive procedures and advanced technology,” concluded Ambassador Hector.
