Czech hospitals reorganizing care to reflect aging of population

Czech hospitals are facing a significant reorganization to reflect the aging of the population and the growing number of people in need of long-term care. In cooperation with insurance companies hospitals around the country are going to reduce the number of acute beds, which are not being fully used, and turn them into beds for follow-up and long-term care where there is a dire need for them. "We are already short of capacity and that is nothing compared to what will come after 2030 when the population will really start to age by leaps and bounds and morbidity will increase, Ladislav Dušek, director of the Institute of Health Information and Statistics told journalists. He said hospitals have eight to ten years to prepare for the demographic change.