Bratislava, Oct 3 (CTK) – Surgeons in the Czech Republic, in particular in the Prague-Motol Teaching Hospital, will newly provide lung transplants for patients from the neighbouring Slovakia on the basis of a memorandum that both countries’ health ministers signed in Bratislava on Tuesday.
The Czech and Slovak health ministers, Miloslav Ludvik and Tomas Drucker, also talked about the possibilities of border health care for citizens of both countries.
“The signing of the memorandum enables Slovak patients who need a lung transplant to immediately undergo it in the Czech Republic, in the Prague-Motol Teaching Hospital, as of today,” Ludvik told reporters.
Cooperation with Slovakia in this respect is advantageous for the Czech Republic as well since the organ donors register has thus been extended, he added.
So far, Slovak patients underwent lung transplants in Vienna, but the local healthcare facility withdrew from the respective agreement with Slovakia of late. This is why Bratislava was seeking another solution since no Slovak hospital provided lung transplants.
Last years, 45 lung transplants were performed in the Czech Republic.
At present, one patient is waiting for this operation in Slovakia.
Eight Slovaks annually undergo lung transplants in Vienna.
In view of the number of these surgeries, it does not pay off for Slovakia to offer them, Drucker said.
“This si the most complicated organ transplant. We would be on the verge of safety performing eight to ten transplants a year and the financial efficacy could not be achieved either, undoubtedly,” he pointed out.
One lung transplant costs some 100,000 euros, he added.
Both ministers also discussed cross border cooperation in first aid provision.
“It would have been more efficient in many cases if a patient had been transported to the nearest healthcare facility that was on the other side of the border though,” Drucker said.
Ludvik pointed out that a number of Czechs suffered injuries or even died in the High Tatras, the highest Slovak mountain range. Two Czech tourists died there recently.
This is also why the Health Ministry would like Czech air rescue service doctors and pilots to be trained in this specific mountainous area, Ludvik said.
