Discussions about the healthcare system have died down, but the problems concerning the industry have not. Petr Kádner, director of the private GHC Clinic Prague in Prague 1, not only brings back the call for health reform, but he also stresses the need to reform people's approach to the healthcare system. Kádner talks to The Prague Post about why people still underestimate the importance of investing in their own health, and whether companies should focus more on healthcare programs within their employee benefits packages.

The GHC Clinic Prague recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Over that time, have Czechs become more aware of personal health and prevention?

With Czech society becoming richer, people tend to spend more of their newfound wealth on various goods and services. So why are they reluctant to spend more money on their health?

People do spend more money on products like multivitamins, but they see treatment at the doctor's as being free of charge, plus, they sometimes carry a negative experience from their childhood, when a visit to a medical clinic was quite traumatic. And because they know only very little about their body, they think that a slice of a lemon makes you healthy. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. It is essential to talk about it.

After pension reform, healthcare reform is one of the most crucial issues in the Czech Republic. If people were allowed to deduct the costs of preventive measures from their taxes, would that help alleviate the burden of treating people once they become sick?

If prevention is to be effective, it cannot just be formal. Tax deductions would be quite helpful, but the government should also make direct investments into prevention, especially since it does not hesitate to throw significant sums of money into controversial projects. At the same time, people must take personal responsibility for their health. And when it comes to more serious or rare diseases, there's room for public aid. GHC has always differentiated between individual and state burdens. There's room for both.

Many companies, especially foreign investors, are complaining that Czech workers are often out on sick leave. Do you think companies care enough about their employees' health?

The high sickness rate results mostly from the fact that it is generally accepted in this society. The idea that people can do something now to avoid being ill in the future is still a new concept for many companies, and they hesitate to invest in it.

Do you think medical clinics lead sufficient marketing campaigns to attract more business from companies?

Generally, clinics don't have the money for such campaigns, and companies are dealing with what I've just described. It's mostly foreigners who are the owners of clinics carrying out marketing campaigns, which is also the case of GHC. The owners cannot understand the difference between the Czech Republic and the European Union. They find it ridiculous not to use a marketing campaign, and they are right.

You've started offering your customers screening technologies based on the research of U.S. space agency NASA. Isn't such sophisticated treatment too expensive that even people who want to get such testing cannot afford it?

Of course. But overall, GHC is now affordable even for the middle class, and the clinic is a success. Precise diagnosis is only half of treatment. And the actual treatment based on GHC diagnoses can be done elsewhere — it's up to the patient to decide.

How important is the under-one-roof strategy in the health sector?

At GHC, this isn't one of our strategies — it's a must. Only highly sophisticated treatments or diagnoses, such as brain or heart surgery, should be done at specialized centers. Preventive screening and treatment must be done in one place. It's a basic requirement that cannot be replaced by anything else.

What is the share of foreigners in your clinics compared to other usual clinics?

Foreigners enjoy the advantage that foreign insurers usually cover treatment at GHC. Czechs do not have this opportunity. So far, however, we have not targeted foreigners as a marketing group because we distinguish among potential clients. Still, Czechs make up about 70 percent of our clientele. We intend to provide foreigners in Prague with more information about GHC, and they'll be surprised.

Many service providers have been criticized for price gouging both Czech and foreign customers. What are your pricing policies?

We principally disagree with double pricing, and we understand the frustration of foreigners. The only criterion for us is whether the client has been covered by insurance in case some complications occurred. If not, more thorough screening is needed before possible surgery.

The public generally respects Czech doctors, but they are not the highest paid professionals. Is it likely that doctors' pay in this country will soon match their reputation?

Doctors have different incomes depending on what they do and where they work. But none of them is poor, and some of them are even wealthy when they factor in additional incomes from grants and scientific projects. A general practitioner in a village could be in a different situation. Emphasis should be placed on increasing the qualifications and performance of nurses, and also on increasing the wages of midlevel personnel.