Getting sick or injured on holiday can be stressful, especially when you are away from your usual doctor and unfamiliar with the local healthcare system. Our goal is to make getting medical help in Novalja as simple and straightforward as possible.

CissaMed is located in central Novalja, approximately 100 metres from the main square. No advance appointment is necessary during opening hours, so you can come directly to the clinic if a health problem appears unexpectedly during your stay.

Holiday health problems can range from everyday infections and ear pain to cuts, beach injuries, fever, dehydration, and symptoms that need a prompt medical assessment.

Every patient is assessed individually. Our doctor will decide which examinations, tests, or treatments are appropriate based on your symptoms, medical history, and clinical findings.

This is particularly important because symptoms that may initially appear simple, such as weakness, fever, or dizziness, can have different causes.

A child becoming ill during a family holiday can be particularly worrying. Fever, cough, ear pain, and other common symptoms may need medical assessment, especially when symptoms are getting worse or when parents are unsure how serious the problem may be.

Our team provides medical assessment for children as well as adults and has experience in pediatrics, family medicine, and emergency medicine.

Depending on your child’s symptoms and clinical examination, the doctor may recommend additional testing, including a CRP test.

CRP, or C-reactive protein, is a marker of inflammation. It can provide useful additional information, but it does not identify the cause of an illness on its own. The result is interpreted together with symptoms, physical examination, medical history, and other relevant findings.

Do you need prescription medicine while in Croatia?

Some medicines that travellers may use in their home country cannot be purchased over the counter in Croatia.

If you become unwell and believe you may need prescription medication, our doctor can examine you and determine whether prescription treatment is medically appropriate.

When indicated, CissaMed can issue a prescription that you can take to a pharmacy in Croatia.

A prescription for a specific medicine cannot be guaranteed before an examination. The doctor first needs to assess your condition and decide which treatment, if any, is appropriate and safe.

This can be particularly helpful for travellers who develop an infection, experience a new medical problem, or require treatment that is only available with a prescription in Croatia.

CissaMed is a private medical clinic, and you do not need to make an appointment before visiting during our opening hours. You can call us before coming or simply visit the clinic directly.

We accept card payments, making it easier to arrange an unexpected medical visit while travelling.

Our location in central Novalja is convenient for visitors staying in:

If you are staying further away, we recommend calling before travelling so you can confirm our current opening hours and whether an outpatient clinic is the appropriate setting for your symptoms.

Call CissaMed or visit the clinic during opening hours for a medical assessment. For life-threatening symptoms, call 112.

Need a doctor in Novalja? CissaMed is a private walk-in medical clinic for adults and children, with diagnostics, prescriptions, and card payments.

Doctor in Novalja | Medical Care for Tourists | CissaMed

Ivan Jakopčić

Rocky coves and clear water are part of the appeal of a Croatian summer, but they also make accidental contact with sea urchins possible.

The most common scenario is stepping on one while entering or leaving the sea and suddenly feeling sharp pain in the sole of the foot.

What happens when you step on a sea urchin?

Sea urchins are commonly found around rocky areas of the Adriatic coast. Most injuries happen when someone accidentally steps on one while entering the sea, swimming close to rocks, or walking through shallow water.

The immediate symptom is usually a sharp pain in the foot, followed by one or more small puncture wounds.

Because sea urchin spines are brittle, part of the spine can break off and remain underneath the skin.

The sole of the foot can be particularly uncomfortable because pressure is applied to the injured area every time you walk.

First, get out of the water safely and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the injured foot. Inspect the area in good light.

If a spine is clearly visible, superficial, and easy to reach, it may sometimes be possible to remove it gently. However, you should avoid repeatedly squeezing the area, cutting into the skin, or digging after a fragment that is difficult to reach by yourself.

Sea urchin spines can break easily, and aggressive attempts to remove them may push fragments deeper or cause additional damage to the surrounding tissue.

Soaking the affected area in hot, but not scalding, water may help relieve pain.

If you cannot clearly see or easily remove the spine, it is usually better to have the injury assessed by a medical professional, rather than repeatedly trying to remove it yourself.

A doctor can examine the injury and decide whether removal, wound care, or another treatment is needed.

If you stepped on a sea urchin while swimming in Novalja or elsewhere on Pag Island, you can visit CissaMed for a medical assessment.

Because the clinic accepts walk-in patients during opening hours, you do not need to spend the rest of your holiday waiting to see whether a painful fragment will disappear on its own.

A doctor can assess the depth of the injury, the condition of the skin, and whether further treatment is appropriate.

Whether it is sensible to return to the sea depends on how deep the injury is, whether a spine was removed, and how the skin is healing.

After treatment, follow the specific wound-care and swimming advice given by the doctor.

If a sea urchin spine has broken in your foot or you cannot remove it safely, contact CissaMed in Novalja for an assessment.

Stepped on a sea urchin in Croatia? Learn what to do, when a broken spine needs medical attention, and where to get treatment in Novalja.

Sea Urchin Sting in Croatia: What to Do | CissaMed

You spend the day swimming, return to your apartment or hotel, and a few hours later your ear begins to ache.

During a summer holiday, this is a common enough problem that many travellers immediately wonder whether seawater has caused an ear infection.

One possible cause is swimmer’s ear, medically known as otitis externa. It affects the outer ear canal. Water that remains in the canal can contribute to a moist environment in which bacteria can multiply.

However, ear pain after swimming does not automatically mean swimmer’s ear. Middle-ear infections, trapped earwax, irritation, and other problems can cause similar discomfort, which is why an examination matters when symptoms are significant.

Symptoms may begin mildly and become more uncomfortable over time.

If the pain is increasing, the ear is visibly swollen, or fluid is coming from the ear, it is a good idea to arrange a medical examination rather than waiting for the problem to resolve on its own.

When an ear feels blocked after swimming, it can be tempting to try to clean or dry it manually.

Avoid putting cotton swabs, keys, hairpins, fingers, or other objects deep into the ear canal.

These can irritate the delicate skin inside the ear, push earwax or debris further inside, and sometimes make the problem worse.

You should also be careful with ear drops if you already have significant ear pain or discharge.

Some ear-drying products should not be used if there may be a perforated eardrum, ear tubes, or certain other ear conditions. If you are unsure, it is better to have the ear examined first.

Young children may not describe ear pain clearly.

They may become irritable, sleep poorly, pull at the ear, or resist having the ear touched.

Because swimmer’s ear and middle-ear infections affect different parts of the ear, looking into the ear is often important before deciding on treatment.

At CissaMed, our team provides medical assessment for both children and adults.

At CissaMed, doctors can examine the ear canal and eardrum and decide whether treatment is needed. Prescription can be issued when a medicine is medically indicated after the examination.

If an ear infection is diagnosed, your doctor may advise a break from swimming while the ear heals.

Follow the advice given after the examination rather than testing the ear repeatedly in the sea as soon as the pain improves.

Where can you get an ear checked in Novalja?

If your ear starts hurting during your holiday, you do not necessarily need to wait until you return home to have it checked.

CissaMed is a private medical clinic located in central Novalja. You can call before coming or visit the clinic directly, no advance appointment is necessary during our opening hours.

Call CissaMed or come in during opening hours for an examination. For severe symptoms, a rapidly deteriorating condition, or another medical emergency, call 112 in Croatia.

Ear pain after swimming in Croatia? Learn about swimmer’s ear, symptoms to watch for, and where to see a doctor in Novalja.

Ear Pain After Swimming in Croatia | CissaMed Novalja

A child getting sick during a family holiday can be particularly stressful.

You may be away from your usual doctor, unfamiliar with the local healthcare system, and unsure whether a fever or cough is something you can monitor or a reason to seek medical care.

Fever is commonly part of the body’s response to an infection.

However, the number on the thermometer is only one part of assessing a sick child. A doctor will also consider the child’s age, breathing, hydration, activity level, behaviour, and any additional symptoms.

In children older than six months, the height of the temperature alone does not determine how serious an illness may be.

How your child looks, behaves, breathes, drinks, and responds to you can be just as important.

Coughs are very common in childhood, particularly with respiratory infections.

A cough on its own does not necessarily mean that something serious is wrong. However, it is important to pay attention to how comfortably your child is breathing and how they are feeling overall.

Seek medical advice if a cough is accompanied by breathing difficulty, persistent fever, poor fluid intake, unusual tiredness, or a child who appears significantly unwell.

At CissaMed, our doctor may perform a CRP test when it can provide useful additional information during the examination.

CRP stands for C-reactive protein. It is a marker of inflammation that can rise when inflammation or infection is present in the body.

However, a CRP result does not tell us exactly what infection a child has, and it cannot independently determine whether an illness is bacterial or viral.

Our doctor interprets the CRP result together with your child’s symptoms, physical examination, medical history, and other relevant findings.

What happens when you bring your child to CissaMed?

The examination will depend on your child’s symptoms.

If prescription medication is medically indicated, our doctor can also issue a prescription following the examination.

This can be particularly helpful for families travelling in Croatia when the medication needed for treatment is not available over the counter.

CissaMed treats adults and children, and our medical team has experience in pediatrics, family medicine, and emergency medicine.

Families staying in Novalja, Stara Novalja, Gajac, near Zrće Beach, Mandre, and other parts of Pag Island can visit during opening hours without arranging an appointment in advance.

If your child develops fever, cough, ear pain, or other symptoms that concern you, contact CissaMed for a medical assessment. For severe or life-threatening symptoms, call 112.

Is your child sick on holiday in Croatia? Learn when fever or cough needs medical assessment and where to find care for children in Novalja.

Child Fever on Holiday? Doctor in Novalja | CissaMed

A sharp rock, broken glass, a fall from a bicycle, or a small accident around a boat can leave a wound that looks minor at first but becomes difficult to manage once sand, seawater, and walking are added to the situation.

Many minor cuts can be treated with basic first aid. Others may need professional cleaning, wound dressing, removal of a foreign object, or stitches.

For a small wound, first try to control the bleeding.

Apply firm pressure with a clean dressing or cloth. Once the bleeding has stopped, rinse the wound with clean water, gently clean the surrounding skin, and cover the area with a clean dressing or plaster.

For small, superficial injuries, this may be enough. However, deeper, contaminated, or continuously bleeding wounds should be medically assessed.

When should a wound be checked by a doctor?

If glass, a stone, or another foreign object is embedded in the wound, avoid aggressively digging into the skin or attempting to remove an object that is difficult to reach.

Trying to remove a deeply embedded object yourself can cause additional tissue damage or bleeding.

At CissaMed, we provide foreign-body removal when medically appropriate. Our doctor can examine the wound, determine whether an object remains inside, and decide on the safest next step.

Not every cut needs sutures. Whether a wound should be stitched depends on factors such as its depth, location, shape, level of contamination, and how long ago the injury occurred.

At CissaMed, we provide suturing of appropriate wounds under local anaesthesia.

Our doctor will first examine the injury and decide whether stitches, another closure method, or wound care without closure is the most appropriate option.

A wound that has already been treated may still need follow-up dressing or inspection.

This can be awkward during a trip if you are moving between beaches, accommodation, and activities.

If a dressing becomes wet, dirty, or difficult to manage, or if the wound starts to look worse, professional wound care can help you avoid guessing about the next step.

A fresh wound needs to be protected while it heals.

If you have received stitches or professional wound treatment, follow the instructions given by our doctor about keeping the wound dry, changing the dressing, and when it is safe to return to the sea or pool.

Do not assume that covering a fresh wound with a waterproof plaster automatically makes it safe to swim.

CissaMed provides treatment of minor wounds, wound dressing, foreign-body removal, and suturing where clinically appropriate.

If a cut is deeper than it first appeared, will not stop bleeding, contains a foreign object, or is showing signs of infection, contact CissaMed in Novalja for an assessment.

Cut your foot or need wound care in Novalja? Learn when a wound may need cleaning, dressing, foreign-body removal, or stitches.

Cut or Wound on Holiday in Croatia | CissaMed Novalja

Mosquitoes, wasps, bees, ticks, and other insects are a normal part of spending time outdoors during summer in Croatia.

Most bites and stings are uncomfortable rather than dangerous. Sometimes, however, swelling becomes much larger than expected, the skin becomes infected, or an allergic reaction develops.

Knowing which symptoms can usually be monitored and which require medical attention can help you decide what to do next.

Try to avoid scratching itchy bites because damaged skin can make it easier for bacteria to enter and cause an infection.

A cold compress may help reduce local discomfort and swelling.

Some people develop a larger local reaction after an insect bite or sting.

The swelling may continue to increase over several hours and extend beyond the immediate area of the bite.

A large local reaction does not automatically mean that someone is experiencing a severe allergic reaction. However, it is a good idea to seek medical advice if the swelling is significant, continues to increase, becomes very painful, or simply concerns you.

At CissaMed, our doctor can examine the affected area and assess whether treatment is necessary.

How can you recognise possible infection?

Increasing warmth, redness, tenderness, pus, swollen glands, or flu-like symptoms can suggest that the skin has become infected.

Ticks require slightly different attention from mosquito bites or insect stings.

If you find a tick attached to your skin, it should be removed carefully and as soon as possible.

If you are unsure how to remove it properly, part of the tick remains in the skin, or you are concerned about the bite, you can visit CissaMed for an assessment.

After a tick bite, continue to observe the area and your general health.

Seek medical advice if you later develop concerning symptoms such as a spreading rash, unexplained fever, unusual fatigue, or other symptoms that make you feel unwell.

Suspected anaphylaxis is an emergency. If you or someone with you develops these symptoms, do not wait to visit an outpatient clinic. Call 112 immediately.

If the person has a prescribed adrenaline auto-injector, use it according to their emergency treatment plan while emergency medical help is being arranged.

Treatment for insect and tick bites in Novalja

If you have a non-life-threatening insect bite, sting, tick bite, or local allergic reaction while staying in Novalja or elsewhere on Pag Island, our team can examine the affected area and advise you on the appropriate next step.

CissaMed is located in central Novalja and is convenient for visitors staying nearby. You can call us before coming or visit the clinic directly, but no advance appointment is necessary during our opening hours.

If a bite or sting is becoming more swollen, painful, or inflamed, or you are unsure whether a tick-related problem needs treatment, contact CissaMed. For severe allergic symptoms, call 112.

Swelling after an insect bite, sting, or tick bite in Croatia? Learn what may need medical attention and the warning signs of a severe allergy.

Insect Bites & Allergic Reactions in Croatia | CissaMed

Novalja and the Zrće Beach area attract visitors who often fit a lot into a short trip.

A long journey to Pag Island, hot summer weather, days spent in the sun, late nights, dancing, alcohol, limited sleep, irregular meals, and not drinking enough water can all leave you feeling exhausted.

Sometimes, rest, food, fluids, and a cooler environment are enough to help you recover. At other times, symptoms may be caused by dehydration, heat-related illness, or another health problem that deserves medical assessment.

Why can you feel so unwell after travel and partying?

Several factors can affect your body at the same time.

You may arrive in Novalja after hours of travelling with little sleep, spend the next day in the sun, eat differently from usual, and stay out late.

Alcohol, physical activity, sweating, and inadequate fluid intake can make dehydration more likely, while a lack of sleep can contribute to fatigue, headache, difficulty concentrating, and a general feeling of being unwell.

However, symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, nausea, or headache are not specific to exhaustion or a hangover.

If you feel significantly unwell, it is important not to automatically assume that partying or lack of sleep is the only cause.

Heat exhaustion can develop after spending too much time in hot conditions, particularly when combined with physical activity and insufficient fluid intake.

If you think you may be experiencing heat exhaustion, stop strenuous activity, move somewhere cool, and begin rehydrating.

If symptoms are significant, worsening, or not improving, seek medical assessment.

If someone develops these symptoms after exposure to heat, call 112 immediately and begin cooling them while waiting for emergency medical help.

When should you see a doctor after a long night out?

Symptoms that appear to be caused by partying can sometimes overlap with dehydration, infection, low blood sugar, heat illness, or another medical condition.

Our team can examine you and help determine whether further testing or treatment is appropriate.

At CissaMed, our doctor can perform a medical examination and check vital parameters.

Depending on your symptoms and clinical findings, the assessment may also include basic diagnostic testing, blood glucose measurement, or an ECG.

The doctor will decide which tests are appropriate based on your individual symptoms.

CissaMed provides intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous administration of therapy when medically appropriate.

However, an IV is not automatically necessary because someone feels tired, dehydrated, or unwell after a night out.

Our doctor will first assess your symptoms and decide whether medical treatment is necessary and which treatment is appropriate. We do not treat IV therapy as a routine “hangover cure.”

Medical help near Zrće Beach and Novalja

If you feel unwell while staying in Novalja or around Zrće Beach, you can visit CissaMed for a medical assessment.

You can call us before coming or visit the clinic directly, however no advance appointment is necessary during our opening hours.

If rest, cooling, food, and fluids are not enough, contact CissaMed for a medical assessment. For confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, severe breathing problems, or another life-threatening condition, call 112.

Feeling unwell after heat, travel, lack of sleep, or partying in Novalja? Learn when exhaustion or dehydration needs medical assessment.

Ivan Jakopčić, MD

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CissaMed | Tourist Medical Clinic in Novalja