The Czech Republic has wound down part of the "Project Ukraine" program
As Radio Prague clarifies, the exception previously introduced by the Czech Republic for Ukrainian nurses remains in place. They will continue to be able to get jobs under a simplified procedure.
"We have a huge shortage of doctors. But this problem needs to be solved by improving working conditions, not by risking patients' health by hiring people on trust. We cannot allow that," emphasizes Milan Kubek, president of the Czech Medical Chamber.
He, along with the heads of other professional chambers in the healthcare system, have criticized the "special status" of Ukrainian doctors in the Czech Republic from the very beginning. The fact is that people from other non-EU countries are required to pass a series of exams, have mandatory internships, and work for some time under the close supervision of Czech colleagues when being hired in hospitals and clinics.
Roman Šmucler, president of the Czech Dental Chamber, for example, notes that about 1,000 foreign dentists have moved to the Czech Republic, and every third dentist getting a job is a migrant from Ukraine. And it is precisely against them, according to Roman Šmucler, that the chamber receives the most complaints.
The decision to close "Project Ukraine" for doctors was made after a meeting of the presidents of professional medical chambers with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. "Today's meeting put an end to the implementation of this project. We must accept this, although, to be honest, as far as staffing problems are concerned, hospital life will become more difficult," comments Health Minister Adam Vojtěch.
Confirmation of his words, for example, is the statement of Markéta Singerová, press secretary of the Sokolov hospital in the Karlovy Vary Region: "After the cancellation of 'Project Ukraine,' we again find ourselves in a situation of uncertainty. We don't know how we should work with the medical staff coming to us from this region. We are already in negotiations about hiring new personnel, and the new conditions will be a sensitive change for the hospital."