Czech Republic

Česká gerontologická a geriatrická společnost ČLS JEP
Czech Society of Gerontology and Geriatrics

Some facts on demography and geriatrics in Czech Republic…

Total population: 10.538 thousand
Percentage above 65 Yr: 1.826 thousand = 17,8%
Percentage above 80 Yr: 412 thousand = 1,6%

Number of physicians: 48.023
Number of geriatricians: 442 (162 men, 280 women)
Number of geriatric beds: 391 (acute care)
Total number of hospital beds:

• 56.586 + 21.000 (therapeutic institutes)
• acute care beds: 48.903
• post-acute beds: 28.683

Geriatrics is recognised as a...

• speciality since <20 years

Geriatric medicine is found in...

• acute care hospitals as acute geriatric ward
• out-patient care settings
• post-acute rehabilitation hospitals/clinics
• nursing homes and long term care facilities

Members of the society

Total number of Members: 315
Geriatricians: 200
GP’s: 20
Internists: 50
Nurses: 20
Other therapists: 25

Other activities…

CGGS organises or paticipates in organisation of several meetings and congresses every year. Some of them have more than 15 years´history:

• Brno geriatric day usually in March – clinically oriented, organised by prof Pavel Weber
• Zlín geriatric day – usually in September – clinically oriented – organised by dr Milan Forejtar
• Prague Days of Gerontology – autumn – with the Czech Alzheimer Society (prof. Iva Holmerová)
• Hradec Králové annual geriatric congress – major clinical multidisciplinary event – autumn – organised by dr. Božena Jurašková

List of geriatric chairs and research centres in the Czech Republic

Charles University:

• Lékařská fakulta Hradec Králové - Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové, Geriatric Medicine (MUDr. Božena Jurašková, Ph.D.)
• University Hospital in Hradec Králové - 3rd Internal Gerontometabolic Department (Prof. MUDr. Vladimír Blaha, CSc.)
• První lékařská fakulta - 1st Faculty of Medicine in Prague: Department of Geriatrics (Prof. MUDr. Eva Topinková, CSc.)
• Druhá lékařská fakulta - 2nd Faculty of Medicine in Prague: Department of Geriatrics (Prof. MUDr. Milan Kvapil, CSc. and MUDr. Martina Nováková)
• Třetí lékařská fakulta - 3rd Faculty of Medicine in Prague: Geriatric Medicine (MUDr. Hana Vanková, Ph.D.)
• Lékařská fakulta Plzeň - Faculty of Medicine in Plzeň: Department of Social and Consultative Medicine (doc. MUDr. Libuše Čeledová, Ph.D.)
• Faculty of Humanities: CELLO - Centre of Expertise in Longevity and Long-Term Care (doc. MUDr. Iva Holmerová, Ph.D.)

Masaryk University in Brno:

• Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Nursing and General Medicine (Prof. MUDr. Hana Matějovská Kubešová, CSc and MUDr. Katarína Bielaková, Ph.D., MHA)
• Department of Sociology, Centre for Research on Ageing (Mgr. Lucie Vidovićová, Ph.D.)

Challenges for geriatric medicine in the Czech Republic

Despite the fact that the geriatric medicine is a recognized speciality since 1980s there have been several attempts to abolish it, one was in 2008 and the last very recently. Nowadays, according to the decision of the Parliament on the new law on postgraduate medical education, geriatric medicine will remain medical speciality. However, after many months of uncerntainty and discussions on different levels, including public and media campaign, the situation remains difficult. Therefore, it is necessary for our society to work together with other medical societies and international geriatric community on improvements of treatment and care, setting appropriate standards of care and to collaborate internationally on the educational and scientific level.