Modified network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres
The Czech Ministry of Health has introduced a new system of cancer care in the Czech Republic, which had been drawn up in cooperation with professionals from expert medical societies and health insurance companies.
The new system will create a modern network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) which will provide the most complex and most expensive cancer care. The Ministry of Health Gazette, which is due to be issued soon, will provide a list of these Centres, accompanied with details on which treatment they will specialize in.
Expert audits in existing cancer centres, which took place in autumn 2008, revealed big differences in health care quality, personnel, and technical equipment. "We want to gather the most expensive, super-specialized cancer care in comprehensive centres which will provide a high-quality care to all patients. This move will also provide the opportunity for the centres to procure more personnel and equipment. I would like to emphasize strongly that we are not going to shut down any cancer care facilities: all of them will be preserved. All cancer care facilities will continue to treat cancer patients, but only comprehensive cancer centres will provide the most financially demanding cancer care," explained health minister Tomas Julinek.
The network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres was established in the Czech Republic several years ago, but only this year's audit has shown significant differences among the Centres. Some Centres did not even meet all required criteria. This has become the incentive for the Ministry of Health to issue the Gazette that clearly stipulates which cancer care facilities will belong to Comprehensive Cancer Centres, and which conditions must be fulfilled. "It is impossible that all Czech hospitals provide the comprehensive cancer care: we must be pushing for the quality and follow the example of EU countries and the United States, where the most complex cancer care is gathered in comprehensive centres," added Prof Jiri Vorlicek, President of the Czech Cancer Society.
For more information, please contact the Czech Ministry of Health on the phone number +420 224 972 166.
Mgr. Tomas Cikrt, e-mail: tis@mzcr.cz
19. 12. 2008 Czech Ministry of Health Press Release
