Czeck Republic Now Popular As A Medical Tourism Hub

Over the past several years, the medical tourism industry in the Republic has received a boost due to less than flattering reports of mishaps and overcharging in Southeast Asian countries.

As well as becoming famous as a hub for tech entrepreneurs, the Czech Republic is now attracting medical tourists due to its hospitals’ and specialists’ quality and affordability. During the past year, just under 20,000 foreigners arrived for medical treatment, thus making the republic’s doctors Europe’s most sought-after professionals. The country’s medical services are now the fifth most popular in the EU, although medical professionals in Germany, Spain, Belgium and Portugal see more patients due to their larger populations.

According to head of the Czech Medical Chamber Milan Kubek, most expat residents and visiting foreign patients head for private clinics specialising in plastic surgery, dentistry, eye surgery, treatment for obesity or artificial insemination. The majority of private patients pay for treatment out of their own pockets, with the cost of treatments averaging 155,000 CZK (£5,500). As a result, Czech professionals now believe the state should be attracting more medical tourists as a proportion of income from the sector could be used to better serve Czech nationals.

Kubek also believes the country has a great future in the fields of orthopaedics and oncology, as Czech healthcare is at an all-time high level of safety and professional competence. Czech nationals rarely travel overseas for medical procedures, with only around 3,000 every year heading to overseas hospitals. Germany is the favourite as the two countries share a border, making travel far easier and less expensive. Given the extortionate costs of private healthcare in the UK, USA and other worldwide expatriate hubs, expats living and working in the Republic should consider themselves the lucky ones in this medical lottery.