Czech Ministry of Health proposes mobile dental clinics for remote regions

The Czech Ministry of Health is planning legislative changes to introduce mobile dental clinics to improve healthcare access in remote regions. Health Minister Adam Vojtěch noted that while the number of dentists with insurance contracts has increased by 200 over the last three years, specialists remain concentrated in urban and regional centers, leaving rural areas underserved.

Statistics indicate a significant gap in care, with 17% of insured citizens lacking access to a dentist and 72% of rural dentists not accepting new patients. To address the generational shift in the profession, the Ministry is also negotiating a program to increase dental school enrollment by approximately 15% starting in the 2027/2028 academic year.

Local municipalities, such as Aš, are facing critical shortages of various specialists, including neurologists and general practitioners. In Aš, local leaders are discussing solutions ranging from municipal subsidy programs for medical equipment and rent to seeking cross-border care in Germany, though German border regions also face physician shortages.