In the Czech Republic, it is believed that doctors without knowledge of Czech pose a threat to patients
As reported by Radio Prague, according to the president of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek, more important than the numbers themselves is the fact that foreign doctors are hired as cheap labor and work without supervision by qualified specialists.
"The problem is not foreigners as such, but that they work without qualified supervision, in violation of the law. Every foreigner, according to legislation, has the right to work only under the direct guidance of a local specialist doctor. Thus, both hospitals and their founders, i.e., regional administrations, are breaking the law. And the Ministry of Health not only turns a blind eye to this, it itself is one of the organizers of such a scheme," claims the head of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek. According to him, the Chamber intends to file a complaint against the Ministry of Health in court.
The health ministry rejects such accusations: foreigners from non-EU countries have been given a one-year deferment to learn the language and pass all necessary exams.
"The deferment will naturally not be extended. And local specialists, who oversee the work of foreign colleagues in each specific department, are obliged to ensure that the quality of medical care remains at an appropriate level. Of course, in individual cases a mistake may occur, but overall this is how it should be," says Deputy Minister of Health Roman Prymula.
The ministry is confident that attracting doctors from abroad is one of the effective ways to solve the shortage of medical staff in the Czech Republic, especially in border regions. The largest number of Ukrainian doctors are employed in the Ústí nad Labem, Karlovy Vary, and Moravian-Silesian regions.
The head of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek, lists where a foreign doctor is most likely to be encountered: "These are internal medicine departments, surgical departments, and anesthesiology and intensive care units. That is, key areas without which no hospital can function."
Czech healthcare needs doctors from abroad. According to Deputy Minister Prymula, even if salary levels were such that Czech doctors would not find it profitable to work in the West, there would still be a shortage.
"First of all, we need to start with medical faculties. Not only the number of students must increase, but also the problem of a shortage of teachers must be addressed. The government is already working on this. But while we are training our own young doctors, which may take six to eight years, we will temporarily have to hire medical staff from abroad. However, I fully agree that they must have the necessary qualifications."
According to the Ministry of Health, 50,000 doctors work in the Czech Republic. Only a percentage of them, about 500 specialists, received their medical education in non-EU countries.