The standards of healthcare in the Czech Republic are very high. However, the number of specialists is rather limited compared to much of Western Europe.
The staff of hospitals and doctor's surgeries are highly professional and medical equipment is up to date. In Prague medical standards are higher than in the rest of the country. Due to strict regulations, you don’t need to worry about counterfeit or outdated medicine.
Healthcare facilities in the Czech Republic
There are more than 25,000 healthcare providers in the Czech Republic. The country has the highest number of doctors per inhabitant of the new EU member states. That includes general practitioners as well as specialists.
Most of the hospitals in the country are still run by the state. Hospitals with more than 1000 beds, and a great variety of medical wards available, can only be found in big cities. District hospitals can be found in highly populated areas.
Small clinics with up to 200 beds usually only provide basic health care and are made up of an emergency department, a surgical ward and an internal medicine ward.
Outpatient care
When you get ill your first point of contact is a primary care doctor in your local area. You can chose between general practitioners, paediatricians, dentists and gynaecologists as your primary care physician and you are allowed to change doctor every three months. If you are insured through the Czech public healthcare system and want to register with your primary care physician, you have to keep in mind that he has to have a contract with your insurer. If not you will have to choose a different physician.
You can visit a specialist without a referral from your primary care doctor. However, this has a downside in the Czech Republic: Your primary care physician hardly ever gets information from other doctors you visit. Therefore, examinations are often done twice.
Many doctors have their own medical equipment, such as X-ray units. Because these machines are very expensive, many physicians will use them whenever possible to spread costs, even if their usage might not be necessary.
Inpatient care
If your illness requires institutional treatment, your primary care physician can either recommend you for admission to a hospital or he can organise it directly himself. Inpatient care is not only provided by hospitals but also by other institutions.