Features of treatment and rehabilitation in the Czech Republic

High quality, affordable price and excellent service are what foreign guests are interested in in treatment and rehabilitation in the Czech Republic. The services of local centers and health resorts are used by patients not only from Europe, but also from more distant corners of our continent. The spectrum of diseases that Czech doctors successfully treat is extremely wide, and natural resources and a favorable climate contribute to the rapid recovery of the body after heavy operations and therapeutic procedures.

Why people choose treatment in the Czech Republic

The country's medical institutions are in the greatest demand among residents of Eastern and Central Europe and the CIS countries. People come here from Slovakia, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and other nearby states.

There are several reasons for this:

• higher level of service;
• competitive prices;
• introduction of innovative discoveries;
• solid research base;
• developed network of sanatorium-resort treatment.

Representatives of the Western European part of the continent are quite often found here. They are attracted by prices, which are an order of magnitude lower than in Germany, Austria, Italy with a relatively small gap in quality.

Switzerland still needs to “grow” to the level of leading clinics, say, Switzerland, nevertheless, medicine in the republic has made great strides forward. The country's accession to the EU had a positive impact on this issue, which entailed "pulling up" to European standards.

Czechs themselves often go to work to their more prosperous and developed neighbors, and foreign guests feel more protected here thanks to a stable system of social guarantees that exists not only on paper, but also in practice.

The health care system includes two types of clinics:

• state,
• private.

When a specialist's help is required, the patient turns to a therapist, who collects an anamnesis and refers to a specialist in a narrow specialty, if necessary.

The main requirement for the provision of medical services is the availability of insurance. On its basis, you can use the services of hospitals and clinics free of charge.

Features of medical insurance in the Czech Republic

Both citizens of the country and foreigners must have insurance. All types of policies can be divided into two groups:

• state,
• negotiable.

The first is intended for Czech citizens, residents with a residence permit (residence permit) and refugees. It covers an almost full range of types of care, including annual preventive examinations, therapeutic dentistry (but the service of an orthodontist, for example, will already be paid), vaccinations, physiotherapy.

An ambulance call is always paid.

It is also worth remembering that a doctor does not come to your home in Prague or any other Czech city with the usual ARI. With such a diagnosis, you need to come to the appointment yourself.

For each insured person, 4.5% of the income is deducted to the state fund. Moreover, this part of the costs falls on the employer.

Students, pensioners, temporarily unemployed persons, women on maternity leave and children are exempt from these deductions. The state does it for them.

Foreigners arriving in the Czech Republic on a short-term visit can take out contractual insurance, which will be valid exactly as long as the visa with which they entered.

Without insurance, you will have to pay for each visit, and this can result in a large sum. Contract insurance usually only covers certain types of medical services. Which ones will depend on the cost of the policy and the company from which it is purchased.

The first thing to do after applying for a policy is to register with a therapist, pediatrician (if there are children), for women - with a gynecologist.

Rehabilitation techniques in the Czech Republic

Recovery after surgery or long-term treatment is an important stage in the entire process that can significantly affect the patient's complete recovery. In the Czech Republic there is everything to help a person return to their usual way of life or to accept themselves as changed.

The country is rich in mineral springs. The environment is clean and the climate is mild. All this allows you to achieve unprecedented success in the rehabilitation process. Many clinics combine medical procedures, preventive classes, restorative exercise complexes, but each of them specializes in the treatment of only certain types of diseases. It depends on the composition of the water and mud that this or that region is rich in.

You should also be aware that there is no general recovery method in the local clinics. Each center practices its own know-how.

All recovery methods can be divided into several categories:

• classical methods of therapeutic orientation: procedures with the use of mineral water, mud, healing gas (gas injections);
• modern therapeutic: they involve a combination of classical methods with electric current, magnetism and other advances in the field of medicine;
• wellness: symbiosis of medical therapy and oriental practices, Wellness programs (wellness), SPA, yoga, massage;
• auxiliary: outdoor activities, walks, sports.

Very often the following procedures are offered in Czech spas:

• Vojta therapy is an effect on the physiological connections of motor function, namely, stimulation of nerve endings in order to restore the ability to move. It is especially often used to treat children;
• heliotherapy is based on the effects of sunlight on the body;
• inhalations are used to treat the respiratory tract;
• hardening;
• massages, including lymphatic drainage;
• mud wraps;
• herbal medicine, that is, herbal treatment;
• aerotherapy - exposure to fresh air, which improves the general condition of the patient;
• Bobath therapy provides for the recovery of children with cerebral palsy of varying complexity and with damage to the musculoskeletal system. It is carried out due to certain movements that allow you to relieve muscle tension and release negative mental energy. The method is based on personal observations of physiotherapist Bertha Bobat, who once again proved that a person's psyche is inextricably linked with his body;
• mineral baths. Almost all sanatoriums have their own access to underground sources.

The cost of treatment in Czech clinics

It is interesting to know how affordable treatment in Czech medical centers is, for parents whose children need help, for pensioners from Russia, and for those who simply decided to improve their health in one of the local sanatoriums or clinics.

Several factors affect the cost of medical services:

• the nature of the disease;
• form of medical institution - public or private;
• the city where the clinic is located;
• treatment regimen;
• additional services (for example, an interpreter service).

The total budget must include flight, transfer and visa costs.

For comparison, we give the prices in several clinics in the Czech Republic:

Leading clinics and rehabilitation centers

Those who want to choose the Czech Republic as a country where they can undergo treatment, it is necessary to correctly determine the hospital. Please note that many medical institutions have their own rehabilitation center, which allows doctors to take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem.

Here is a list of the most famous clinics:

A little about sanatoriums in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has suitable climatic conditions and therapeutic possibilities that are necessary for the recovery of the body after complex surgical interventions, treatment of cancer, stressful life situations. The most important wealth of this territory is thermal and mineral springs, mud, clean air.

These natural resources have led to a large number of sanatoriums in different regions of the country:

The article "Sanatoriums and Resorts of the Czech Republic" will allow you to choose the right health resort and get acquainted with the full list of health resort complexes.

How to organize a trip to a Czech clinic for treatment

There are two options for organizing a trip to a clinic in the Czech Republic:

• through an intermediary firm;
• on one's own.

In the first case, all questions will be taken over by the company. Starting from the selection of the center, ending with the preparation of documents and booking tickets. But in this case, the budget will need to include commissions for the work performed.

Doing it yourself will take effort and time. The step-by-step process can be represented as follows:

1. Choosing a clinic. First, you need to find out which hospitals are involved in the treatment of the disease of interest, how much it costs, what opportunities are available, the treating staff of doctors. Equally important is the issue of subsequent rehabilitation, if required. Many hospitals have their own centers, but if it turns out that there is none, you should look for a sanatorium in advance.
2. Send documents to the clinic. The package should include a diagnosis, a medical history card, recommendations for further actions and the results of all diagnostic procedures.
3. If the clinic confirms its readiness to accept you for treatment, you will receive an estimate of all proposed procedures.
4. Having paid the required amount through the bank, expect an invitation from a medical institution. You will need this document to open a visa.
5. Collect a package of papers for the consulate and apply for a visa authorization.

While the request is being considered, it is necessary to make a decision regarding the transfer from the airport, accommodation (if the treatment is planned outpatient), an interpreter.

As for the translator, it is worth asking about the clinic itself, since most of them are designed for Russian-speaking patients, and therefore they provide such a service.

What patients are most often interested in

Is it possible to find Russian doctors in the Czech Republic?

Yes, there are definitely a lot of Russian doctors in the Czech Republic. This is due to the fact that the Czechs themselves, having received a diploma as a medical worker, are trying to go abroad in order to be able to count on a higher salary. Czech medicine is supported by immigrants from the CIS countries, for whom this level of payment is more acceptable than at home.

There are no state programs to attract doctors in the country. But specialists with work experience may well legalize here on their own. They have more chances than migrants with other professions.

How long does it take to diagnose?

In many clinics, you can undergo a comprehensive examination within one day. If the disease is complex and a serious operation is ahead, then it may take 2-3 days.In any case, they will try to shorten this period as much as possible so as not to aggravate the problem with which the patient applied.

Is it possible to call a doctor at home in Prague?

Only those who fall into the category of emergency cases have the opportunity to call a doctor home. With a common cold and fever, you will have to go to the appointment yourself.

Conclusion

To summarize, we will list the main pros and cons of undergoing treatment in Czech clinics: