A promising proposition has been put forth in the Czech Republic – hospitals may soon be able to establish more nurseries and children’s groups for their staff. This initiative could greatly assist doctors with young children in returning to work. According to the Ministry of Health, there are eight billion unallocated funds in the National Recovery Plan that hospitals could use to build nurseries.
” We want to provide hospitals with methodical support and significantly reduce barriers to creating children’s groups,” said Deputy Minister of Health Josef Pavlovic. Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Labour representatives, young doctors, and non-profit organizations. These entities could project everything for the hospitals, select suitable spaces, arrange necessary permits, and oversee compliance with hygiene standards.
The Ministry aims to recommend both state-run and non-state hospitals utilize European funds. “In the national plan, there are eight billion for this, and we would like hospitals to participate in drawing these funds and reconstruct their premises to operate children’s groups,” Pavlovic explained.
Children’s groups are preferred over nurseries as they are easier to establish and can accommodate more preschool children, as they can attend from six months of age. This is a step towards increased capacity and affordability, a welcome benefit for women working in healthcare, as their working hours differ from the standard operating hours of regular nurseries.
According to Monika Hilšerová, the appointed chairwoman of the Young Doctors Section, the capacity of existing groups and nurseries in hospitals could be expanded. “When a hospital has a nursery, it is usually a single class. About 20 children fit there,” she noted, adding that the service is unavailable to everyone. As women make up the majority of healthcare staff, it is necessary to adapt hospital operations accordingly.