The benefits of the MEDEVAC project for the Czech healthcare system.

Abstract

The MEDEVAC Permanent Medical Humanitarian Program of the Czech Republic focuses on providing medical care to vulnerable groups of the population in regions affected by migration, burdened by many refugees or in places where specialized medical care is not available. Treatment is provided free of charge and exclusively to civilians who are in a serious health condition or whose health condition does not allow them to lead a dignified life. The program started in 1993 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, continued in Kosovo and has gradually been extended to several other countries. At present, MEDEVAC is a program of the Government of the Czech Republic coordinated by the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense and the Army of the Czech Republic. The MEDEVAC program is of fundamental educational importance. Participants expand their practical experience with situations typical of conflict and natural disaster areas and become acquainted with the organizational specifics of care in crisis areas. The experience gained in crisis areas is a significant contribution to the preparedness of our health care system, especially traumatology and related fields. The General University Hospital in Prague has been involved in several of its departments since 2011, in addition to the First Surgical Clinic, the Department of Ophthalmology, the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Department of Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology.