Hospital České Budějovice, a.s. – The Present | Information about h. | České Budějovice Hospital, plc

The role of the patient in Czech society has been rather passive so far. He or she knew that the physician will not tell them much, the cost for his care was not his or her concern, and the patient was not, until recently, much interested in being able to return to work quickly. A patient was just a passive object for treatment. But this situation has changed rather rapidly, together with the change of the whole culture of society. Legal norms and regulations that have been issued in compliance with European law and our Constitution from 1993 have also created a new framework for patient behaviour. It is the legal right of a patient to receive information on his or her heath. The patient of the new millennium will be interested in the use of the Internet to communicate and obtain information related to his or her health, and possibly also to the course and conduct of his or her treatment. This need can only be met when the health care system as well switches over and consistently adheres to the electronic form of processing and publication of certain information, as has already happened and as is currently happening in other sectors, such as state administration, the banking sector, transportation, travel movement, etc. It is clear from the above that it is necessary to invest in an information system, and the hospital will have to deal with this formidable task.

Building A is the oldest building in the hospital. It has been used by patients since 1914.
Photo: Přemysl Fejfar

The so-called Terminal – the main entrance to the Upper Area of the hospital.
Photo: A+V Design

Building C is the largest building in the hospital.
Photo: Aleš Baloun

The Hospital České Budějovice, a.s., is one of the largest healthcare facilities in the Czech Republic. Its bed capacity, exceeding 1,650 beds, makes it the fourth largest hospital in the CR. It offers basic, specialized and also highly specialized care in practically all medical specialties for the whole South-Bohemia Region and some areas of the neighbouring regions.

The care provided in our hospital is also sought after by patients from the whole CR (e.g. orthopaedics, urology, neurosurgery, cardiology, and others). Also regarding the number of patients treated annually, we occupy 3rd to 4th position in the CR. This throughput and good quality of care is achieved with much lower expenses and much fewer personnel than in other comparable hospitals. The hospital also has the lowest proportion of employees in administration and management among comparable hospitals.

The Hospital České Budějovice, a.s., annually treats 51-52 thousand inpatients on average, conducts next to 26 thousand surgical procedures and 500 thousand outpatient investigations. In 2006, 2,263 children were born here. Since, 1996, the hospital has had no overdue financial obligations, ends regularly with a balanced budget, which also remains our goal and creed for the future.

The hospital has 40 healthcare departments with a number of specialties and subspecialties. Some of the departments cooperate across the hospital in specialized care centres. The most important are: the Trauma Centre, the Centre for Oncology, the Centre of Perinatology, the Osteo-Centre, the Diabetology Centre, the Multiplex Sclerosis Centre, the Cardio-Centre and the AIDS Centre.

Some specifics of the Hospital České Budějovice, a.s.

• hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber in the Trauma-Centre
• extracorporeal lithotriptor,
• NMR,
• complete digitalisation of X-ray operations,
• navigated neurosurgery of the brain,
• MIS hip joint replacements
• laboratory for investigation of sleep disorders
• laser surgery of the posterior ocular segment
• OCT /SLO instrument in the department of ophthalmology
• BERA in the ENT department,

As of 31.12.2006, the hospital had a total of 2,501 employees, and is thus one of the largest employers in the South-Bohemia Region. Of these, there were 409 physicians, 1,396 nurses, 48 physiotherapists and ergotherapists, and 233 laboratory technicians.

The hospital participates in a number of scientific research projects, and individual departments solve various grants. The staff physicians are involved in important cooperation with post-graduate education centres for general practitioners in the whole of South Bohemia, and prepare for them comprehensively oriented lectures.

The hospital holds a number of conferences and seminars annually, with the aim of improving the knowledge of nurses from the entire region.

Each year, the hospital organizes, in cooperation with professional medical societies, several nationwide congresses and symposia. Very popular and positively accepted are so-called workshops offering the Czech and international physicians the opportunity to obtain various practical skills.

The employees of the hospital, mainly physicians and nurses, hold numerous lectures at international and nationwide congresses. The results of their clinical and scientific work are greatly valued by the professional community.