Bad Medical Experience

I've had nothing but positive experiences with health care here in Czechland.  But last month that streak came to an end.  So here's what happened...

I had two lipomas that I wanted removed.  If you don't know, a lipoma is just a fatty tumour normally below the skin.  Normally it's a genetic thing and usually harmless.  I've had them before and they're usually not a big deal to have them removed.  

I went to my primary physician who referred me to a local surgeon's practice.  I got a consultation with the surgeon who examined me and sent me to go get a sonogram.  I went back to the surgeon's office with the results.  He told me that the sonogram looked fine but that he was not set up to remove them in his office.  He was not able to refer me to someone who could.  WTF! Why not tell me that before going to get the sonogram?  I really got the impression that doctor just wanted to be able to bill the state for the two office visits.

I was so angry.  I immediately went to my primary physician's office and complained.  My doctor apologised and referred me to a surgeon that's located at the same place where I got the sonograms done.  

I managed to see the new surgeon a few days later.  He examined me and reviewed the sonograms.  He told me that it wouldn't be a problem.  I got a surgery scheduled for two weeks later.  

I showed up for my appointment and everything went smoothly.  Both lipomas were removed in under 30 minutes.  I went back 10 days later for a follow-up and to have my stitches removed.  My faith has been restored and one bad experience hasn't ended my confidence in the Czech healthcare system.

Universal Healthcare

One of our friends visiting Brno this week came down with Conjunctivitis, Zánět spojivek, normally called "pink eye" in English.  So we made the decision to go visit Bohunice Hospital.  

Going to the hospital on day 2 of a 4-day weekend?  Not something that sounded like a fun time but we headed to the emergency room.

When we got to the hospital the receptionist told us to go directly to the eye clinic on the 16th floor.  Within five minutes the nurse had taken some personal information and our friend was seen by a resident.  

A senior doctor joined, multiple x-rays just to rule things out, and a prescription for medicine and we were headed home.  Everything done in just one hour.  Our friend doesn't have a Czech health card but does have a European health card.  In a situation like this, you have to pay for the visit and medicine, you submit a claim with your country's health insurance system and get reimbursed.  

The visit, with the x-rays, cost 500 Kč (~$21) and the medicine was another 500 Kč.  In the USA, even with good insurance, it would have cost way more.  

I never understand why universal healthcare is seen as a bad thing by so many Americans (Republicans).  It's not something radical.  There are 73 countries in the world that offer universal healthcare coverage and all but 43 countries in the world have free healthcare or access to universal healthcare for at least 90% of their citizens.  

In the USA there is national defence but the moment national healthcare is brought up, you would think that people were advocating for the downfall of the country.  

Sure, no system is perfect and there's always room for improvement, but I've never seen a country with universal healthcare trying to repeal it.  It's as if universal healthcare is a good thing.

The USA is the largest country without universal healthcare and to put this in perspective, some other countries without free healthcare are Nigeria, Yemen, South Africa, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. 

I'm very happy that I live here in Czechland where we have a very good healthcare system.  And I've never heard of anyone in a country with universal healthcare going bankrupt due to medical bills.  That's just an American thing.  Most Americans are one major disease from losing everything due to medical bankruptcy. 

Update:  Our friend was fully reimbursed for the 1000 Kč within a week.

World AIDS Day 2022

Today is World AIDS Day.  Since 1988, the day has been dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV.

The United Nations is working towards its goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030.  There's a long way to go to meet this goal in the next eight years.  

Álisson Becker, a footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Brazilian national team is a World Health Organisation Goodwill Ambassador and here's his public service announcement.  

©World Health Organisation (WHO)

Czech State Health Institute

The National Reference Laboratory for HIV/AIDS of the State Health Institute has released the current statistics about HIV/AIDS here in Czechland.

Czech Republic has a relatively low level of HIV/AIDS infection in Europe.  This year the number of cases have been significantly affected by migration due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

For the first ten months of the year, there were 249 new cases registered in the country.

• 201 were men and 48 were women
• 110 were Czech citizens and 139 were foreigners residing here
• Of the foreigners, 89 come from Ukraine, 8 from Slovakia, 8 from Russia, 4 from Moldova, 4 from Poland and 22 from other countries
• Most new cases are reported in Prague (32,9%), South Moravia (10,8%) and Central Bohemia (8.8%)

From the start of the Russian invasion to the end of October 2022, the Czech Ministry of the Interior took in 422.125 refugees from Ukraine of which 537 HIV-positive Ukrainian refugees were registered.

Differences in HIV Incidence between Czechia and Ukraine

In 2021, Czechland had 2,2 cases per 100.000 people and Ukraine had 37,1 cases per 100.000 people.

Another Czech Hospital Experience

Five years ago I had my first Czech hospital experience.  I spent a week at FN Bohunice having my tonsils removed.  About six weeks later I was back for a second surgery.  Now I've just had my next hospital experience with a two-week stay at St. Anne's.

A normal room was for three patients with shared toilet and shower facilities down the hall.  So the first thing I did was book the nadstandardní pokoje, "the above standard room."  

The private room included a bedside table, desk, chairs, a television, lamp, telephone, a wardrobe, a small refrigerator, and a kettle.  Plus it had its own shower and toilet.  Health insurance doesn't cover the cost of the private room but for me it was well worth the 800 Kč ($37) per day.  On the first and last day, the fee was only 400 Kč ($17).  Well worth it.    

I knew to bring my pyjamas, a robe, and house shoes.  I brought an extra pillow and, along with my toiletries, I brought my own toilet paper so that I didn't need to use the generic TP.  I did notice here that the hospital provided patients with pyjamas and a robe if they didn't bring their own.  I was more comfortable with my own.  They also issued me a knife, a fork, and a spoon to use during my stay and I needed to wash them after every meal.  They gave me a one-litre pitcher and drinking glass, which they changed out every three days.

Just like at Bohunice, there was all of the chamomile tea that you could drink.  It always tastes better when it's cold so I was glad to have a refrigerator.  Since I had a kettle, Kája brought me a coffee mug from home and instant coffee packets.  Due to Covid, visiting hours were only 14:00 to 18:00 on Wednesdays and Sundays.  Since I had a private room the nurses didn't really care.

The day was pretty regimented.  I got up and took a shower around 05:30 and made my bed.  

At 06:00, the nurses came in with the morning meds.  Then the orderly would come in and she always seemed surprised that I had already made up the bed.  Breakfast was usually around 07:00 or 08:00.  

Breakfast was usually a few slices of bread with butter, either some ham or cheese, and maybe an apple, yogurt, or cottage cheese.

It's a teaching hospital so there were interns making the rounds with the doctors.  What a difference five years makes because this time when the doctors performed rounds everything was in Czech.  If there was a word or something that I didn't understand then the doctor would say it in English but overall everything was done in Czech. 

Lunch was the main meal of the day and it was usually served at 12:00.  

Typical Czech, there was always a soup with lunch.  

There was usually a meat dish served with either potatoes, or pasta, or dumplings.  Sometimes there would be fruit.

Then after lunch, there would be afternoon rounds.  Sometimes with the students and sometimes without.

In the afternoon between 15:30 and 16:00 was svačina, which is snack time. Every day was the same snack.  They would bring me a rohlik.  I don't know why but they tasted better than the rohlik I buy at the local shop.  

Dinner was usually served between 17:00 and 17:30.  Dinner was a bit lighter than lunch.  If lunch was really heavy then dinner would be a little bit lighter.  

It was usually meat and potatoes or rice.  Sometimes there would be another soup but not usually.

Around 18:00 the nurse would come with the evening meds.  Around 19:00 it was time to get ready for bed.  I didn't need to queue up to brush my teeth or whatever because I was in my private en-suite room.

From 21:00 to 06:00 were quiet evening hours.  Usually around 21:00, one of the doctors would pop in just to see if I was OK and then everything started all over again the next day.

The doctors and nurses were awesome.  Again, I am amazed by how good the Czech healthcare system is.  The USA has a lot to learn.  On my way out I left boxes of chocolates for the nurses and doctors.  I gave a box to the last group of students on rounds.  There was one woman who cleaned my room twice a day and she worked at least 10 or 11 days in a row.  I gave her a box of chocolates and it really seemed to make her day. 

St. Anne's University Hospital

St. Anne's Hospital, Nemocnice u sv. Anny,  is the oldest and second-largest hospital in Brno after FN Bohunice.  St. Anne's is also a teaching hospital for Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine.

The hospital was established in 1786, following a royal decree in 1784, in a former Dominican monastery.  A better facility was needed and a new hospital was built in the city centre.

The main entrance building was built in 1868 from the design of Theophil Hansen who was a famous architect from Vienna.

The hospital is managed by the Ministry of Health.  The hospital specialises in cardiovascular care, oncology, intensive care medicine, neurology and neurosurgery.  However there are 30 specialist workplaces and 17 specialised care facilities.  

The International Clinical Research Centre, focuses on research into heart and brain diseases, and is the result of cooperation between St. Anne's and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, USA.

More than a million patients are treat each year on an outpatient basis.  There are 890 beds with around 20.000 operations performed annually.  More than 3000 people work here.

St. Anne's is where I had my first Czech medical experience.  It's also where I came to for my first PCR test and where I had my second test when I got Covid-19.  I just spent 12 days in hospital and let me tell you that the staff there is awesome.  Here's a short video that I found out on YouTube about sv. Anny.  

©FNUSA

New Old Man Glasses

Back in 2017, the optometrist diagnosed me with "old man eyes."  I only needed them for reading but now I find myself needing them more and more.  So a couple of weeks ago I went and had my eyes checked.  Yep, my vision has gotten a little worse so I got a new prescription and ordered some new frames.

Aside from my vision having gotten worse, two things were different this time.  

1. In order to squeeze me in sooner, the clinic scheduled me a visit with an optometrist who doesn't speak English.  I did the entire visit in Czech.  I was kind of proud of myself for that one.
2. There used to be a 150 Kč discount towards new frames but apparently that doesn't exist anymore.

This week I picked up my two new pairs.  I tend to keep one pair for work and another pair for home.  What do you think?

Three Week Update

I am over Covid and I'm cleared to return to work tomorrow.  The doctor wants me to take it easy still.  I'm not allowed any strenuous exercise or sport for at least three months because, as she put it, "at your age we want to be careful".  I swear that I didn't feel old when I turned 50, but I'm starting to with all of these "at your age" comments.

I had my first two Covid vaccinations in May and June and then I had my booster in December.  Covid kicked my butt for almost a month.  I don't want to imagine how bad it could have been if I hadn't received my vaccines and booster.  

I'm also very grateful that I didn't have to worry about the cost of being sick.  The Czech healthcare and social insurance system meant that I could focus on getting better without the fear of financial ruin.  In the USA, the vast majority of Americans are one major disease away from bankruptcy.  

I've had a goatee for years but I've never tried growing a beard before.  While I was stuck at home I didn't bother shaving.  I was starting to look like a mountain man so now I'm going to give a beard a try.  What do think?

Before and after

I've also managed to keep the -27 kg for a week.  

Let's see if I can keep it up.  I'll be happy just to keep the -25,4 kg off for an entire month.  

Baltic Trip Cancelled

Two weeks ago, on Friday afternoon, I was cleared to go back to work on Monday morning.  I must have overdone it because two days later the doctor put me back on sick leave.  Lots of coughing and all of my flu symptoms came back hard.

On Wednesday, they took x-rays and fortunately there's no infection.  Both my blood pressure and my oxygen level were both a little low.  The doctor was concerned that I might get phenomena and kept saying "at your age."  Oh, how I love the direct Czech approach.  Great health care but not the best bedside manner.  Ugh!

Perhaps they will release me to on Monday which means that Covid will have knocked me out for just over three weeks.  Technically, I'm supposed to work four days next week and then I have holiday.  I had a trip booked to the Baltics for 10 days but I've cancelled it.

I'm disappointed about not going back to Balticland.  I was supposed to start off in Riga, Latvia, where I planned to visit Jūrmala, which is a nearby beach resort.  Then up to Estonia to visit Narva which is right on the Russian border.  I didn't make it to Narva during my 2014 trip so this is the second time I'll miss it.  Then it was on to Klaipėda, Lithuania, before going back to Riga to catch my airBaltic flight home.

There are basically two reasons why I cancelled my trip.

1. I am just too tired.  The thought of running around three countries right now doesn't sound anywhere as good as sleeping.
2. If I tell my mother that I'm going to the Baltics, much less right on the Estonian-Russian border, then she will just worry.  Also, Klaipėda isn't very far from the Russian exclave Kaliningrad.    

I know that, unlike Ukraine, all three of the Baltic countries are members of the EU and NATO.  Putin would have to be crazy to attack the Baltic countries.  But, each were former Soviet republics so who knows if he is crazy enough to attack.  Who thought that he would actually invade Ukraine?

Instead of travelling, I'm go to have a Brno staycation.  I just plan to sleep and will try to watch something other than coverage of the war.

Я за Україну. Я за Україною. Слава Україні  Stojím za Ukrajinou!  I stand with Ukraine. 

Positive

On Tuesday afternoon I started to feel like I was coming down with something.  On Wednesday, I had the flu.  Typical cold symptoms - fever, chills, runny nose, body aches.  On Friday morning, I just knew it was more than the flu so I went back to St. Anne's for another PCR test.

On Friday evening I received an SMS (text message) that my results came back positive.  The official results were sent to me via e-mail with instructions that I needed to contact my GP.

I spent the weekend on quarantine, taking cold medicine, drinking lots of fluids and trying to sleep as much as possible.  On Monday, I had a video call with my GP and I was put on sick leave.  I have a follow up appointment on Thursday but hopefully I'll be able to go back to work on Monday.  

I thought the flu symptoms were part of the Covid thing but this is the worst flu that I've had in 10-11 years.  At least I haven't lost my sense of smell.  Yesterday I walked to the nearest pharmacy which is only about 250 metres from my flat.  There and back and it felt like I had walked for an hour.

My friend David offered to bring me some "badger's fat."  I had to laugh.  Apparently badger's fat is a thing in Slovakia.  From his description, it sounded like the Slovak equivalent of Vicks VapoRub.  I declined his offer to drop it off to me as he has two small kids at home and they've just recovered from it so I don't want to pass this on to anyone else.  I honestly don't know if it is really made out of actual badger fat or if that's just what they call it.

While I was at the pharmacy I wanted VapoRub so I asked for something that I could spread on my chest to help with the congestion.  

The pharmacist gave me psí sádlo, which is "dog fat".  I guess it's badger fat in Slovakia and dog fat here in Czechland.

One thing that's nice is I didn't have to deal with whole 5 different copies  of the paper based sick note system.  As of 1 January 2020, an amendment went into effect to the Sickness Insurance Act which launched electronic sick notes.  eNeschopenka is e-sick leave.

When you're too sick to work, the Czech Labour Code says that the employees pays the salary compensation for the first 14 days and from the 15th day it is paid by the District Social Security Administration (OSSZ).  If you are self-employed then the OSSZ pays benefits from the 15th day that you are unable to work.

The old 5 copy thing was a mess where some copies were for the doctor, some for the patient, plus the employer and the Czech Social Security Administration (CSSZ).  Now it is all online which means it is faster to receive payment of sickness benefits.  Everything is done via a CSSZ ePortal.

New Testing Rules

The Czech Ministry of Health has some new rules.  Prior to 11 January, the quarantine period was 14 days, but with a negative PCR test it could be stopped at seven days.

As of 11 January, the mandatory quarantine period, after receiving your first positive test, is now only five days.  There is no exit test but after leaving quarantine you have to wear a respirator for five days.

As of 17 January, companies have to test employees twice a week.  I'm still working from home so this doesn't apply to me.

Before yesterday, two PCR tests per month were free as they were covered by public health insurance.  Now, up to five free PCR tests per month are covered for those who are vaccinated.  As long as you've had the first vaccine dose and are waiting on the second then you also qualify for up to five free PCR tests per month.  Children also qualify for the five free tests per month.

As of yesterday, unvaccinated adults, those over the age of 18, are no longer entitled to a free test.  They now have to pay around 800 Kč (~$32) for a PCR test.

I tested on Sunday, the 16th, and got my results on Monday the 17th.  So I guess the Sunday test counted as one of my two free tests per month.

My First PCR Test

So after our Korean BBQ adventure, a couple of people are ill, one tested positive for Covid and another tested positive on a home kit but later had a PCR test and the results were negative.  I feel fine.  Just to be on the safe side a went for my first Covid test on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday I went online and booked an appointment at St. Anne's Hospital for a PCR test.  St. Anne's is in the city centre.  It was established in 1786 and is Brno's second-largest hospital.  Like Bohunice, it is a teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University.

It was pretty easy to arrange the test online.  I showed up at the testing site, showed my ID card, my health insurance card, and my passport.  I was then called into a room where a nurse performed the test.  I was in and out in about 15 minutes.

Today, I received an SMS that my results were ready.  I received two e-mails that were each password protected.  I had to enter my Czech birth number to open them.  The first was my lab results saying that I tested negative.  

The second was my official medical health certificate showing my PCR test results that I can use to cross the border.  It is printed in three languages: Czech, English, and Ukrainian.

I felt fine but it was nice to get the official negative test result today.  I guess the booster shot worked.  No Omicron for me.