Family-run company SAGENA, owned by Olga and Aleš Kubíček, is expanding diagnostic services in the Moravian-Silesian Region. In Frýdek-Místek, the team is installing a Siemens MAGNETOM Vida 3T MRI system, which will increase both the precision and speed of examinations. In this interview, we speak with Aleš Kubíček about what the new technology will deliver for patients and for the clinic’s operations.
SAGENA s.r.o. has been providing services to satisfied customers since 1996. What strategies did you use to develop such a successful private healthcare provider?
I built SAGENA gradually with a clear goal in mind: to provide services that were not yet available in the area, specifically offering two shifts in outpatient care with an appointment system and no waiting time. It took considerable effort to bring all these services together under one roof. We reached agreements after extensive discussions with health insurance companies and made sure to address the demands of our clients in the market.
All our staff members are directly employed by us, which allows doctors to focus on their patients without having to manage paperwork related to payments, prescriptions or communication with authorities.
SAGENA’s core services centre on comprehensive medical care, including physiotherapy. Do you also cater to executive clients?
We are currently exploring these options, but this would necessitate hiring new doctors and adjusting time commitments. Right now, we provide 3T magnetic resonance imaging for self-paying patients, and many employers include this service in their benefits package. However, we aim to offer a preventive programme specifically for management positions alongside our existing services.
Prevention is the cornerstone of healthcare. What tests do you provide for early diagnosis?
Our centre has a wide range of outpatient clinics under one roof, from general practice to a whole range of specialist outpatient clinics and a magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic centre, which play a key role in prevention, not only in detecting but also in monitoring changes in human health. Some of these facilities are certified and incorporated into the preventive programmes of the Czech Ministry of Health. The comprehensive urology clinic and the state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging centre are part of a pilot programme for prostate cancer screening.
The magnetic resonance imaging centre is equipped with two advanced 1.5T scanners and the newest 3T scanner. MRI is a highly effective diagnostic tool for the early detection of various diseases, especially in neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, urology, orthopaedics and rheumatology. The success of this method relies not only on the quality of the equipment but, more importantly, on the expertise of the staff.
We have decided to make magnetic resonance imaging available to self-paying patients in view of the current unfavourable situation regarding the availability of this key diagnostic method. This decision is a response to the fact that, despite repeated requests, our company has not yet received a recommendation from the Commission for the Assessment of the Distribution of Medical Devices and Capacities Covered by Public Health Insurance, even though all the necessary criteria have been met.
The new Siemens Vida 3T magnetic resonance imaging system represents the forefront of diagnostic imaging technology, providing clients with the most advanced examinations of the brain, spine, breasts, prostate, abdomen and the entire musculoskeletal system. This device is designed for both patients with existing health issues and clients seeking preventive examinations. This non-invasive method has no side effects.
Thank you for the interview.
