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Need help rather desperately

Yesterday, on our 3rd day in Prague, my husband injured his knee. He is barely able to stand, let alone walk, even with the cane I bought him. We are in an area near the Old Town Square where cars cannot apparently get into. We are scheduled to take a Flixbus to Cesky Krumlov tomorrow as we continue on to Vienna. Unfortunately, I think we are going to need to cancel our trip. Am looking for advice on how to negotiate this. We are not seasoned travelers. I have done the following:
1) made an initial call to travel insurance to get them to help. I assume we need to get to a doctor. Not sure how we will do that since he is not able to walk anywhere.
2) I have let our Airbnb host know the situation, but we have they are booked and we have to leave. I'm not sure where to go. I think a hotel with some concierge services and access by transportation.
3) I'm hoping the travel insurance will find us a medical person to see but we are waiting for a return call. Might anyone here know of medical urgent care type clinics near Old Town? We are about two blocks south of the Old Town Square.

thank you for any advice.

Posted by
556 posts

As a start, try air-dr.com for an English speaking doctor where you are.

Posted by
556 posts

As far as alternative accommodation goes - try Booking.com to find somewhere suitable.

Posted by
2970 posts

While you wait for your travel insurance to call back, could you ask your Airbnb host for information about how to get medical help.

Also, you do not mention what nationality you are but could you call your embassy or consulate.

And you are in a major and large city. How about calling Prague Visitor or Tourist Information. See how they might advise you.

Posted by
5901 posts

Have you looked at the US Embassy's website? They have information on where to go for urgent care - https://cz.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/doctors/

Why not just try to see a doctor and see what the diagnosis is before you cancel everything? Maybe rent a wheelchair?

Pasted from the US Embassy website:
Prague
Ambulance: 155 or +420 267 313 333

24-Hour emergency rooms are located at the following:

Motol Hospital
U Uvalu 84, Prague 5
https://www.fnmotol.cz/

Foreigners Department reception: Mon-Fri 7am – 7pm and Sat-Sun 8am– 7pm
Adults: +420 224 433 682
Children: +420 224 433 690
Email: [email protected]
Emergency Motol Hospital : 24/7
Adult: +420 224 436 767
Children: +420 224 433 654

For Pediatric Care, go to Motol.
American patients are requested to visit the Foreigners’ department first.

24-hour care for major and minor trauma, illness. Surgery capability, lab, and other diagnostic testing equipment, including CT and MRI. There is an English speaking representative available 24 hours/day upon request.
Accepts Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Diners Club.

Military University Hospital
U Vojenské Nemocnice 1200, Prague 6
https://www.uvn.cz/en/
Informace Centrum (main entrance)
Phone: +420 973 203 023 (our POC)
Email: [email protected]

24-hour emergency facility and major trauma center. Has isolation unit, surgery capability, lab, diagnostic testing equipment (CT, MRI). There is an English speaking representative available 24 hours/day upon request.

The following locations also have Emergency Care:

Na Homolce Hospital
Roentgenova 2, Prague 5
https://www.homolka.cz/
Kids: +420 257 272 025
Reception: +420 257 271 111
Foreigner’s Department: +420 257 273 289
Email: [email protected]

NO 24-hour emergency care.
(Many specialists but limited emergency department. NOT for major trauma.)
American patients are requested to approach the hospital through the Foreigners’ department: Mo-Fri 7am-4:30pm

Accepts Visa and Mastercard.

Posted by
62 posts

I got hold of our travel insurance before getting the reply here about the embassy. Our insurance recommended calling for a paramedic and have them take him to a hospital. Not sure where they will take us.

Posted by
2157 posts

Call the embassy and ask where is the best medical facility for this type of injury and take him in a taxi. There will be English speaking personnel there to assist. It may just be a sprain and nothing more serious. Best of luck.

Posted by
974 posts

Threadwear, as I understand it, they're staying in a no vehicle access area, and he can't walk, so taxi isn't an option.

Angelafrench, I would advise not cancelling yet. It may turn out to be minor (albeit painful) and you may be able to continue with an amended trip. Regardless, make sure you consult your travel insurer first - they will likely require a full medical report and possibly an unfit to fly (or travel) certificate from the doctor as part of a claim, particularly if you miss travel arrangements or amend or cancel bookings. Keep all your receipts (including anything related to travel amendments, additional accomodation, meals etc) as these may form part of your claim.

Posted by
3414 posts

Sorry for your troubles. In addition to what Simon said, I suggest writing down everything that has happened so far in detail with times and dates (maybe on the notes app on your phone, so you can access it as you go). That includes the initial injury, the calls to your travel insurance company, the calls to your air b&b host, etc. It's very difficult to remember these things after the fact and it will help support your travel insurance claim if you have that kind of detail.

Even though you are in a no car zone, paramedics would obviously still have to be able to fetch people in that area. This is probably why your insurance suggested calling them over a taxi.

Posted by
492 posts

This requires something called "pohotovost" which is initial first-aid (bracing etc) and then you get sent to hospital. Unfortunately this is not an option for non-Czechs.
Option A: You need to get a taxi and go to Motol "Foreigners" reception where they'll take your details and you'll be expected to pay for treatment if your insurance provider is not on their approved list. I'm surprised your Air BnB has not mentioned this.
Option B: call an ambulance and follow the process.
Neither are great options.

Posted by
7316 posts

I would suggest the following:

  • First, try to remain calm, slow down a bit, do not panic, and tackle things in order of their actual urgency/importance - prioritize.
  • Don't over-react immediately, give things a little time to get clarity and assess both your medical needs and your options.
  • Immediately: Keep hubby stabilized, try to make him as comfortable as you can, have him take over-the-counter pain meds and let him get some rest, settle down, and hopefully begin to feel a bit better. Keep him off his feet! Elevate the leg. Start icing his knee and keep icing it. Don't aggravate the injury, and give his knee a chance to settle down a bit and let any swelling go down.
  • Maybe his knee will calm down a bit with a little time and TLC. At a minimum, don't make things worse, and give yourself some calm and mental space to start sorting things. Critical things first - basic needs (stability, shelter, food, time to think).
  • You say you're in an airbnb and "have to go." When exactly do you have to go? Today or next week? (makes a difference). One of your top priorities is simply shelter - having a place to be (or to go) where you can start sorting things out. Use booking dot com to find someplace close by. Ask your airbnb host if they know if another place close by you could move to (when you do need to move). Hopefully your airbnb host is a local who is well-connected to their community, not just some distant corporate entity (you'll soon find out).
  • Try the places/options mentioned above and see if you can find someone to help if you have to move to another place right away
  • Once you have a place to stay for more than a few hours, continue to assess your husband's condition and actual medical needs - it might not be as dire as you first fear, and after a day or two off his feat, on OTC pain meds, and given a chance for the initial swelling/pain to go down a bit, things may look different. (And don't forget to take care of yourself, too, you're under a lot of stress and have a lot of new unexpected responsibilities.) And if things really do turn out to be as bad as you had feared, then at least you have a little time and space to work up a plan.
  • Keep things in perspective and prioritze

Good luck!

Posted by
854 posts

Not sure how we will do that since he is not able to walk anywhere.
Would a knee brace and crutches help to get him to a doctor?

Posted by
5901 posts

It’s amazing to me that US travelers do not automatically consult the Embassy’s website in these circumstances.

Posted by
62 posts

We went to the hospital. The doctor said 90% sure it's a meniscus tear but only an MRI can confirm and it takes weeks tobge one of those. Same as the states these days. He got a steroid injection and some over the counter drug to take that we've never heard of. They also gave crutches.

We are catching up on some food now.

We have to be out of the airbnb by 10am tomorrow morning. Will be talking with travel insurance again tonight if they are available.

I am nervous having him proceed if it is a meniscus tear. The last tear in his other knee resulted in a new knee 6 months later.

Thank you for all the suggestions

Posted by
64 posts

You were wise to have trip insurance! Hope things go well for you.

Posted by
12885 posts

Am not familiar with all things 'meniscus tear' so a search found this

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/meniscus-tear-injury

There are so many variables it is hard to know what is appropriate to suggest as a course of action.

Hopefully a knee brace and crutches and carrying on with the trip is possible. But there is nothing wrong with a biz class seat home and get the medical care needed at home.

Best wishes