IPVZ Career Centre helps integrate foreign health professionals
into the Czech healthcare system

For two years now, the Institute of Postgraduate Education in Health Care has been significantly assisting foreign health professionals with their adaptation and integration into the Czech health care system. In January this year, thanks to the financial support of the World Health Organization (WHO), the IPVZ Career Centre was established. Its aim is conceptual and systematic counselling and assistance to incoming foreign health professionals with orientation in the Czech environment and health care system, language training and networking with employers from health care institutions. A conference with international participation was held on 30 May in the Johann Gregor Mendel Congress Hall at the ILF Hotel on the topic of integration of foreign health professionals into the Czech health care system.

The activities of the IPVZ Career Centre were a continuation of the independently organised Czech language courses focused on medical terminology organised since May 2022. Graduates of these courses have significantly increased their chances of passing the certification exam, which is required to practice the healthcare profession if the professional education was achieved in a non-EU Member State.

One of the first activities of the IPVZ Career Centre this year was to meet with foreign health professionals across the country in one-day events. These were organised in 10 cities and were attended by a total of more than 360 foreign health professionals interested in working in the Czech health sector. The aim of the meeting was to present a new career centre focused on A to Z counselling for foreign health professionals. The main topics during the meeting were always the possibilities of nostrification of education, the course of certification, employment opportunities in the field and a general overview of the situation in the Czech health sector.

The culmination of the spring meetings was today’s conference on “Integration of foreigners in the Czech health care system” organized with the financial support of WHO. The conference was addressed to representatives of health care institutions interested in cooperating with health professionals from abroad. The event was attended by the Director of IPVZ Irena Maříková, MBA and Deputy Director for Education Mgr. Zsofia Pusztai, Head of the WHO Office in the Czech Republic and Yulia Oleinik, Head of the UNICEF Refugee Support Office in the Czech Republic, also participated in the event.

“The Career Centre project builds on previous projects, especially Czech language courses or multicultural communication training supporting coping with situations arising from the differences of different cultures in the provision of health care. Thanks to these projects, the Institute has positioned itself as a service provider with a global reach”, said Irena Maříková, Director of the Institute of Postgraduate Education in Health Care.

Zsofia Pusztai, Head of the WHO Country Office in the Czech Republic, evaluated the establishment of the IPVZ Career Centre as an example of not only the excellent cooperation between WHO, IPVZ and UNICEF but also as an example of effective support for foreign health professionals in the Czech Republic. She added that integration is not only about overcoming language barriers or navigating administrative processes and obstacles, but also about creating an enabling environment, and therefore it is necessary to work together and use common resources and knowledge to achieve the goal. Therefore, she concluded her presentation by recalling WHO’s commitment to continue important initiatives, including in collaboration with UNICEF, which makes it possible to build a health care system that is inclusive, equitable and, most importantly, resilient.

Efforts to integrate foreign health workers, especially from Ukraine, have been part of the solution to the refugee crisis from the very beginning and are essentially the basis for cooperation with the Ministry of Health, Yulia Oleinik, Head of UNICEF’s Refugee Support Office in the Czech Republic, summarized at the beginning of her presentation. She also added that due to the lack of health professionals in the Czech Republic, Ukrainian health professionals play an important role as they can act as mediators connecting the Czech health sector with the communities of foreigners, as they often work alongside Czech doctors or some have already become independent doctors, thanks to the close partnership with IPVZ. From UNICEF’s point of view, the establishment of the IPVZ Career Centre is a strategic decision that can greatly help institutionalize all future efforts
and will help integration itself.

“The IPVZ Career Centre is able to handle all requests and issues fully electronically, but it also has a physical contact centre where most issues can be handled in person, because even though we live in an online age, we still see the possibility of personal contact as necessary and for some people such an option can certainly be more pleasant”, added Sonia Hrdličková, IPVZ Deputy Director for Education.

During the conference, other experts also spoke on specific topics aimed at informing employer representatives. They were, for example, from IPVZ and the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University PhDr. Miroslav Barták, Ph.D. In his contribution he comprehensively informed about the possibilities of integration of foreign health workers on the labour market in the Czech Republic, Ing. Anna Kobilková from the Department of Medical Professions of the Ministry of Health, who presented the possibilities of accreditation for accreditation exams, PhDr. Jiří Kvasnička from the Visa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spoke about the issue of receiving applications and issuing visas in the framework of economic migration and Mgr. Michaela Vandová, Head of the Department of Residence of Foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior, evaluated the practical aspects of the application of the so-called Lex Ukraine. The morning session was concluded by two female doctors from Ukraine who spoke about their practical experience. In the afternoon part, there was a programme focused on, for example, the adaptation of Ukrainian refugees in the field of health care or the Psychological Support Programme for Doctors.

The conference was attended by almost 50 representatives of health care institutions from the Czech Republic.