The hospice, named after Istrian priest Miroslav Bulešić, beatified by the Catholic Church in 2013, is the result of many years of cooperation between Istria County, the City of Pula and Caritas of the Diocese of Poreč and Pula, together with the founder of the institution, the Diocese, that jointly secured the funding for its implementation.
The hospice was built in 2020 and has 14 beds dedicated to palliative care. As part of the network of palliative care services in Istria, it can care for more than one hundred patients in the terminal stages of illness each year.
"Today we celebrate solidarity and safeguard the dignity of human life," Health Minister Irena Hrstić said at the official opening of the hospice.
The Director of the Hospice, Dr Julijana Franinović Marković, thanked all partners for their cooperation, which made the opening of the hospice possible, emphasising that the institution represents an important advance in enhancing the well-being of the community.
To date, the City of Pula has provided €170,000 from its budget for the equipment and initial operation of the hospice, while additional funds amounting to €27,000 have been allocated in the 2026 budget.
In accordance with the agreement concluded, the City will continue to provide financial and institutional support in the coming years, until the hospice becomes financially stronger. The City will also be involved in its work through its representatives on the Management Board, the Pula City Administration announced.
The Bishop of Poreč and Pula, Ivan Štironja, expressed special thanks to the director Franinović Marković for her wholehearted commitment and efforts in the establishment and furnishing of the hospice.
Istria County Prefect Boris Miletić said that the strength of a community is measured by how it cares for its most vulnerable members, and expressed his satisfaction that the long-standing tradition of palliative care in Istria has been further enhanced by this institution.
The hospice is part of a comprehensive plan for the palliative care system of Istria County. It has a threefold function: an inpatient healthcare unit with 12 rooms and 14 beds; an educational section with a lecture hall for 60 people; and a day-care area dedicated to the work of volunteers with patients and their families.