Compared to other OECD countries, Slovakia has one of the highest numbers of doctor visits per person per year. According to the updated Health at A Glance publication, people in Slovakia see their doctor on average 11 times a year, while citizens in other OECD nations average with only 6 to 7 appointments.
“Only the Czechs, Hungarians, and Japanese visit the doctor more often, with Koreans having the most visits – 13”, said Peter Bubla, spokesperson for the Slovak National Centre of Medical Information (NCZI). Moreover, the number of hospitalisations in Slovakia (184/1,000 inhabitants) also exceeds the OECD average (156/1,000 inhabitants). The highest numbers, however, are in Austria (273/1,000) and Germany (244/1,000). The lowest number of hospitalisations can be seen in Mexico (51/1,000), Brazil (58/1,000), and South Africa (61/1,000). The main causes which bring people in OECD countries into hospitals last year were circulatory system diseases, pregnancy and childbirth, accidents and other external causes, diseases of the digestive system, cancer, and respiratory diseases.
