Responsibility and awareness

2022. February 10.

"Responsibility in this sphere is definitely a keyword. Our VIP clients live their lives with a high degree of awareness, hence they also use healthcare accordingly." – Dr. habil. Ádám Lelbach, Dr. Rose Private Hospital’s Chief of Internal Medicine and head of the VIP department describes the hospital’s VIP card service.

Dr. Lelbach Ádám

Professor, what makes Dr. Rose Private Hospital’s VIP card service special?

The essence of one of our most popular services from the beginning is that we want to help people who, due to their social position, occupation or responsibilities arising from their work, need a complex form of care that requires the most flexibility possible. Our experience shows that even those who spend little time in Hungary and are not always available for examinations, are happy to choose this form of service. This includes Hungarians who travel a lot, foreigners living in Hungary, but also diplomatic bodies. In addition to their schedules, they are often characterized by the fact that they do not spend their time consistently in Hungary, so their healthcare must be scheduled accordingly.

Are these customers generally responsible executives?

Responsibility in this sphere is definitely a keyword. Our VIP clients live their lives with a high degree of awareness, hence they also use healthcare accordingly. It is therefore our job to implement the most flexible care environment possible. There is no discrepancy in care and attention, because with us every customer gets the maximum - and this is a completely natural expectation on their part.

Is health awareness part of this awareness?

Health awareness is becoming increasingly widespread in Western Europe, and it would be best if it were the same in Hungary. Our patients are generally said to be characterized by health awareness. They usually pay attention to their health because they see it as a priority and participate in various screening programs. We also emphasize the value of health. Value partly in terms of quality of life, partly also ’personal asset’, as the loss of good health may also lead to loss of employment and increased financial outlay.

How has health awareness changed in recent years?

A middle class is beginning to emerge that, compared to the previous period, is health-conscious, and its education and income are closer to those in Western Europe. More and more people are living in a similar way to Western Europeans, but the quality of the services unfortunately lags behind the needs - a need that can really be felt in the private healthcare environment. The middle class expects healthcare services that it receives in other services in everyday life, including punctuality, convenience and care. The value of time and leisure is increasing, thus patients appreciate the efficient use of time spent in healthcare. Based on this, we design our services and screening packages - and this is what our patients value.

What is the proportion of foreigners among your patients?

The number of foreigners has increased, but their proportion has decreased among our patients. Foreigners working for Hungarian companies and members of diplomatic bodies spend several years in Hungary, after which they continue working in another country, so it is very important that in their case, continuous patient follow-up takes place. When they arrive in Hungary and seek us, they check in and we thoroughly check their condition, review their previous documentation, contact their foreign doctor if necessary, and in the same way when they leave, we provide their complete documentation and usually hand over the patient to the doctor at their next workplace. This is also part of the service of our Institute at Dr. Rose Private Hospital.

In your experience, do you compete with foreign clinics?

Our patients from abroad are rather satisfied with the service provided. We are considered an international quality healthcare institution. We also feel this from the fact that we have many returning foreign patients who have been visiting us for many years. Moreover, even if they no longer live in Hungary, they come back to us and often perform their screening and control tests here. What they especially appreciate is the discretion and unique experience we have gained in caring for patients who require a lot of attention over the past 15 years. Our institute is prepared in every capacity so that if, for example, an Oscar-winning actor visits us, they will be routinely cared for in the right way, with the right discretion. Our institute is also prepared for the arrival of patients from exotic countries where cultural, religious, eating and communication habits differ from those in Hungary. These are great challenges, of course, but we are used to and love such challenges and have developed the right methodology for it. This mindfulness in thinking and service is also noticeable to our Hungarian clients. However, this is completely natural, because in the last 15 years patients from more than 90 countries have come to us for screening tests or for healing, so not only the medical knowledge is part of the Institute's processes, but also knowledge of different cultures and compliance in a multicultural environment.

International standard on the banks of the Danube in Budapest?

As I mentioned, we provide a uniform standard for all our patients. However, we have set the standard for Dr. Rose Private Hospital to be worthy of enhancing the country’s good image. The doctor, the receptionist, the assistant, the nurse - everyone must be of a standard that also holds its place in the international arena. Part of our mission, when a foreigner meets us as a Hungarian healthcare institution, is for them to be satisfied: we should represent the highest technical, cultural and service standards. Dr. Rose Private Hospital also performs a kind of cultural-diplomatic task.

Dr. Rose Private Hospital's VIP card service, unique among healthcare providers, is designed for those who wish to use full screening and unlimited medical and diagnostic care in addition to individual, exclusive customer service. In the event of sudden health problems, we provide outstanding care in our Private Hospital or even in your home. We are available for our VIP card customers outside our opening hours and can provide security for our clients' family members, should they require healthcare.