In a revealing study, the Czech Ministry of Health has discovered that approximately half a million people in the Czech Republic are not registered with a general practitioner or pediatrician. This figure represents a significant improvement from last year’s estimate of one million unregistered patients.
According to Health Minister Vlastimil Válek, over 65% of those without registration are foreigners, including many Ukrainian refugees seeking international protection. Among Czech citizens, approximately 193,000 lack a regular doctor – 34,000 children and 159,000 adults with permanent residency.
Surprisingly, despite not being registered with a specific doctor, many of these individuals still access healthcare services. About one-third of unregistered children and one-fifth of adults have undergone preventive examinations. Many also visit dentists, emergency rooms, or specialists on an as-needed basis.
The situation remains challenging in certain regions, particularly in the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem regions, where the shortage of general practitioners is most acute. For pediatricians, the crisis extends to northwestern Bohemia, parts of the Plzeň region, and the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands.
While medical faculties are admitting more students, addressing the shortage requires a long-term approach that includes both education and specialized training. Paradoxically, interest in general practice among medical students exceeds the ministry’s capacity to support training practices through subsidies – currently funding 140 practices when practitioners estimate at least 200 are needed.