A Healthy Attitude

It´s fifteen years since Canadian Medical Care opened its doors for the first time. Since then thousands of patients have come and gone, often returning with their families. “Our philosophy is that every patient has his or her own doctor, and the doctor knows the whole family,” explains thedirector of Canadian medical, Dr Barbara Taušová, a pediatrician. “When you know the family, you know the medical history,which is a great help with diagnosis.”

Canadian Medical Care employs 60 doctorsand has a database of over 20,000 clients. Every month around 1700 patients visit the centre at one of its two locations, in Prague 4 and 6. As well as the full range of medical treatments, the centre provides eye-care and dental treatment. It has been selected best health care center of the year in The 100 Czech Best competition a number of times. The majority of patients are expats and foreign visitors. “Our foreign clients avoid the burden of filling out endless forms, because we cooperate with international insurance companies and carry out all administration on their behalf,” says Taušová. They work with foreign insurers like Cigna, Aetna, Bupa and Allianz, as well as Czech companies Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna (VZP ČR), Oborová zdravotní pojišťovna (OZP ČR) and Zdravotní pojišťovna ministerstva vnitra (ZPMV ČR).

But why pay for private health care? According to Taušová it´s a matter of getting what you pay for. “State health care facilities do not offer above-standard services,” she claims. “This includes for example doctors available 24 hours a day, individual procedures and treatment planning.” The centre has round-the-clock emergency numbers, one staffed by a GP, the other by a pediatrician. 

Communication is also an issue for expats abroad, she says.“As a matter of course our personnel are well equipped with knowledge of foreign languages,” she says. There are Czech, English, German, Russian and French-speaking medical teams.Taušová says that Canadian Medical Care set out to provide something that didn´t exist in the Czech Republic when it started. “Our medical services were radically different from anything that existed,” she says.“The scope of examinations, treatments, but also the skills of Canadian doctors within the basics of gynecology, surgery, ENT and ophthalmology were an example for Czech medicine to follow. And it´s the same today.”Taušová has been an owner and manager of Canadian Medical Care since 1998, when she merged her own successful pediatric practice with the health centre. She still treats the centre´s youngest patients, as well as running the administrative side of the business. She believes that the success of Canadian Medical Care is down to its patient-oriented philosophy. “Our individual approach means active communication between doctor and patient. It is based on mutual trust and respect,” Taušová says.“We put emphasis on personal relationships.It is undoubtedly beneficial for the patients and that is what matters to us.”