[Regional distribution of physicians in Croatia]

The aim of this study was to show regional distribution of physicians in Croatia. Number of physicians members of the Croatian medical chamber and number of physicians in the system of mandatory health insurance were compared between the counties. In 2006 in Croatia there were 276 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants, i.e., 215 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in the system of mandatory health insurance. The fewer number of physicians per 100,000 inhabitants in the system of mandatory health insurance, less then 150, were in Koprivnica-Krizevci County, Lika-Senj County and Vukovar-Srijem County, while the greatest number of physicians, more than 250 per 100,000 inhabitants, were in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, and Primorje-Gorski kotar County. There were significant differences in the number of physicians per 100,000 inhabitants between the counties (chi2 = 148.7, DF = 19, P < 0.001, chi2-test). Number of general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 inhabitants in Croatia were 54.2, with range from 47.1 in Pozega-Slavonia County to 61.8 in Primorje-Gorski kotar County. Number of physician specialties in four basic specialties per 100,000 inhabitants in Croatian hospitals were for internal medicine 19.1, general surgery 11.0, gynecology and obstetrics 6.7 and pediatrics 7.8. There were significant differences in the number of physicians in four specialties (internal medicine, general surgery, gynecology and obstetrics and pediatrics) per 100,000 inhabitants between the counties (chi2 = 76.0, DF = 19, P < 0.001, chi2-test). Apart from the insufficient number of physicians in Croatia, an inadequate allocation of physicians in certain counties is also evident.