Czech hospitals severely understaffed

The head of the Czech Doctors’ Association Milan Kubek has warned that the level of health care in Czech hospitals could soon drop due to a severe lack of doctors and nurses. He says the problem lies in low expenditures on health care and that both doctors and nurses are leaving the country for better paid jobs abroad. In late June, Czech hospitals registered 628 vacancies for doctors. Mr. Kubek said the lack of staff led to employees being severely overworked. He also pointed to the aging of doctors, two thirds of whom are over 50, one fifth over 60 and a mere 7 percent under 40 years of age.