Tourists are attracted to the Czech Republic not only by historical monuments but also by so-called medical tourism. Foreigners come mainly for reproductive medicine, plastic surgery, and eye surgeries. The reason is lower prices than in other countries and the quality of care, which often surpasses that of foreign countries.
For example, at the Prague Eye Center, foreign clients make up around 15 percent. “Most often, foreigners come for refractive lens replacement and cataract surgery with trifocal lens implantation,” says Adam Janek, the facility’s director, adding that foreign clients always require implants that will relieve them of their dependence on glasses even at an advanced age.
Most foreigners come from the UK, Ireland, and Germany. There is also significant demand from the Nordic countries.
“Ophthalmology in this country is world-class,” he said. “The problem with cataract surgery in the UK, for example, is that there is a long waiting time for it on the National Health Service (NHS), which can be up to two years. In addition, people are not allowed to pay extra for a better implant on the NHS, so they go to private providers, but the problem is the high cost. “In the Czech Republic, prices are a third of what they are in the UK, and those who want one are also guaranteed a deadline within a month,” he explains.
For example, a lens exchange for both eyes with trifocal lens implantation, including examination, costs 85,000 crowns in the Czech Republic; in the UK, it costs a quarter of a million; laser surgery for dioptric defects costs 50,000; in the UK, the candidate pays three times as much, 150,000 crowns.
“Prague, in particular, is an attractive destination because clients can combine medical treatment with a visit to one of the most beautiful places in the world,” says Tamara Ždiňáková from Beauty in Prague. This agency specializes in so-called medical tourism.
It offers a full range of services, from initial contact to recovery, and returns home. In addition to communicating the operation details, she organizes accommodation, transfers from the airport and around Prague, help with travel documents, and accompanies them to examinations, operations, and check-ups.
Assisted reproduction pulls
“Our assisted reproduction center seeks up to 70 percent of foreign patients, who come mainly from the UK, Germany, and Italy, with no exception for clients from the USA or Australia,” says Martina Ešnerová, director of FertilityPort Prague.
According to her, patients seek out our clinics because of the expertise of Czech specialists and the financial advantage—the use of donated eggs for ectopic fertilization in the natural cycle of the patient without hormonal stimulation drugs—costs on average 95,000 in our country and 270,000 in the UK. Legislative obstacles in the clients’ own country often play a role.