How to navigate the healthcare system in Czechia: a meeting at AMIGA

On 29 September, the AMIGA community centre hosted the meeting “Health in Czechia: where to turn and how to proceed”, devoted to practical questions of healthcare in the Czech Republic. The meeting was led by AMIGA intercultural worker Natalia Zanegina.

The Czech healthcare system has its own rules and specifics, which may not be easy to navigate for someone who has only recently arrived in the country. Where can you turn if you need medical help in the evening or at the weekend? What is the difference between an out-of-hours emergency service (pohotovost) and an emergency department (urgentní příjem)? When should you call 155 and when 112? Which specialists can you book an appointment with without a referral, and what should you do if you cannot find a doctor? These and many other questions were discussed during the meeting.

Special attention was given to situations that migrants often face in practice: what to do when a child falls ill, where to turn in case of acute health problems, what health insurance covers and how to overcome the language barrier when communicating with medical staff.

Participants had the opportunity to ask Natalia Zanegina their own questions and to go through specific situations together. An important part of the meeting was also the prepared information materials with useful information and contacts for medical and other services that may be needed in different life situations. Participants could take them away, so that important contacts and recommended procedures are always at hand.

Meetings like this help not only to get the information you need, but also to feel more confident in a new country. Knowing where to turn and how to proceed in a specific situation is especially important when it comes to health – your own or that of your loved ones.

We remind you that AMIGA intercultural workers help migrants find their way around the healthcare system in Czechia. They can help find a doctor, book an examination, explain the necessary steps and, if needed, accompany a client to a healthcare facility.

Consultations with our intercultural workers take place every Tuesday from 9:00 to 13:00 and every Thursday from 10:00 to 14:00 at the AMIGA community centre at Belgická 11, Prague 2.