– Viktor, where do you find clients, and how do they find you?

– The best way, of course, is word of mouth. We strive to ensure that our clients are satisfied with our services. Naturally, we can be found on the internet, we produce a lot of printed materials, but a satisfied patient is the best advertisement. We also work with tour operators. We regularly participate in the MITT exhibition in Moscow, which yields good results. For example, last year, we assisted 490 Russian-speaking clients, and in just half of this year, we have already reached nearly 300.

– Why should patients come to you? They could contact a clinic directly, couldn’t they?

– Of course, they could, if they are well-versed in the German medical services market, know exactly which clinic they need, and whether there are available spots. If they do not need visa support, have someone to meet them, and, finally, if they speak German well enough to translate medical documents. But in general, when someone travels to a foreign country for medical assistance, they usually require constant support, a kind of guardianship.

Take, for example, our outpatient preventive check-up program, which we developed several years ago. In just one day, the patient undergoes eight tests—blood analysis, gastroscopy, ultrasound, X-ray, etc. To complete everything in one day, everything must be scheduled down to the minute. The clinic has more than 20 buildings—imagine trying to navigate that alone. We provide a guide who literally leads the patient by the hand. We have had clients insist on going alone, only to realize within half an hour that they couldn’t manage. Additionally, before and after the program, an experienced therapist consults with the patient. Even if someone speaks German well, medical terminology is a different matter. Our translators have medical backgrounds, so they don’t just translate—they understand what the doctor is saying and can provide necessary clarifications. Not all clinics can allocate a dedicated staff member to each foreign patient, and not all have Russian-speaking doctors.

– Do you personally decide which clinic a patient should go to?

– You know, I have 30 years of medical experience as a vascular surgeon. I performed surgeries for more than 26 years, including 11 years in Germany, where I have lived for 18 years. I once created and led the international department of the Klinikum Nürnberg for four years. I know the German healthcare system well. In fact, I initially came to Germany as a doctor through the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This means that when necessary, I can determine which clinic is best for a patient. Based on the diagnosis, I can recommend where to get treated. We work with one of Western Europe’s largest medical centers, Klinikum Nürnberg, where I worked for 15 years, and with Leopoldina Hospital in Schweinfurt. In collaboration with the immunology department at Oxford University, we offer treatments for severe autoimmune diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, and various allergies. Among our partners are leading specialists in dentistry, cosmetic surgery, maxillofacial and aesthetic surgery, rehabilitation, and recovery therapy, as well as sanatoriums. The list goes on.

– But treatment abroad is expensive, and your services must significantly increase the cost. If a patient knows in advance which clinic they are going to, can the medical center arrange the appointment itself?

– Regarding the cost of our services: we charge 10% of the total treatment cost, and all our clients receive an original invoice from the clinic. Unfortunately, some intermediaries do not show clients the actual clinic bill and instead provide an inflated invoice with a 300% markup. We do not allow this. Moreover, our clients choose their service level.

It’s similar to flying economy, business, or first class. Economy includes airport transfer, interpreter services, a double hospital room with all amenities, and necessary treatment. Business class includes a private room and a department head as the attending physician. First class offers a suite, treatment by a professor, a personal chef, and access to a sauna, solarium, and massage—if not contraindicated. For businesspeople, we provide a meeting room and internet in their room. Family members can stay with the patient if needed.

– Do you deal more with urgent cases or planned treatments? What do Russians seek most—medical treatment or cosmetic surgery?

– 90% of cases involve severe chronic illnesses, which often require urgent care. This is another reason why patients choose us. If we work with a clinic, we have direct contact with an authorized staff member who can make decisions, and we can reach them at any time. If a patient needs urgent admission, we can make the call at 2 AM. Reaching the clinic directly at that hour would be much more difficult. To handle such cases, we even established our own intensive care transport service with an aircraft equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment. We can transport patients under anesthesia or premature infants in specialized life-support systems. We have airlifted patients from Russia with severe injuries from car accidents within hours of the incident.

Cosmetic surgery is less common, but many seek post-surgical rehabilitation.

– Rehabilitation? You mean traveling to Germany to stay in a sanatorium, relax, undergo general wellness procedures, read, and take occasional walks in the park?

– That’s an oversimplified view. Rehabilitation is an intensive treatment process necessary after joint or spinal surgeries, heart attacks, strokes, or neurosurgical operations that result in loss of limb function, speech, or movement. The type and extent of rehabilitation are determined by our doctors, and Germany excels in this field. Specialized methods exist for spinal cord injuries and Parkinson’s disease. We offer treatment at one of the best rehabilitation centers, Medical Park.

– If it’s just a check-up, how much time does a patient need in Germany?

– A minimum of one day for our preventive check-up program, which I mentioned earlier. Patients choose the level of examination they want. In one to two days, they can have comprehensive blood, heart, lung, abdominal, thyroid, brain, and vascular screenings, along with gastroscopy. If they need additional tests in gynecology, urology, or neurology, we add them. And you can rest assured—German doctors won’t invent diagnoses just to charge more.

– Can we compare a one-day basic examination in Germany with one in Russia?

– As far as I know, undergoing such an extensive examination in Russia within a single day is nearly impossible, even in major departmental clinics.

– Do your clients ever ask you to organize sightseeing tours after their medical treatment?

– More often, it’s the other way around. Businesspeople visiting Germany for work sometimes set aside a couple of days for health check-ups. Individual tourists may extend their trip by a day or two. We even offer a four-day tour combined with a check-up, including visits to Munich, Nuremberg, and Bavaria, or even the mountains in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

– Do you personally lead tours?

Not exactly, but a year ago, I wrote and published a guidebook on Nuremberg. It bothered me that the city is primarily known for the Nuremberg Trials, yet there’s so much more to it. Did you know the first globe was made here over 500 years ago? That Germany’s first locomotive departed from Nuremberg in 1835? That Albrecht Dürer, the genius of medieval art, lived here?

– That’s fascinating! Will you find time to discuss Nuremberg separately?

– Absolutely.

– Finally, as a doctor, why Germany?

– I won’t start harshly criticizing Russian healthcare—I don’t want to do that. I received my education in Russia, worked for 15 years at the Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery and the Vishnevsky Institute of Surgery, and defended two dissertations. However, when I arrived in Germany, I realized that medicine in this country is fundamentally different, as is the relationship between doctors and patients.

For myself, I define it this way: German medicine stands on three pillars—exceptional professionalism, state-of-the-art technical equipment, and, forgive the sentiment, the remarkable „warmth of human hands,“ whether from doctors or medical staff. This also explains the incredible efficiency. Imagine, at Klinikum Nürnberg, around 140 complex surgical operations are performed daily—on the heart, brain, blood vessels, and more. I believe this is only possible due to these three pillars, plus German organization.

Regarding medical relationships, let me give two examples—one about how doctors view their profession and another about how doctors are treated in Germany.

Once, a German colleague called me for help in explaining something to a Russian patient who kept trying to hand him an envelope as a token of gratitude for the surgery. For a German doctor, this is simply unthinkable, but it was difficult to make the Russian patient understand. There are no „envelopes“ in Germany. Moreover, if a department head receives an official fee from a private insurance company for surgery—deposited directly into their bank account—they are required to distribute the money among all their colleagues. And they, too, receive it officially and pay taxes on it. That’s the law, and no one even considers bypassing it.

The second example: When I was still practicing as a doctor, I was urgently called to the clinic late at night, around 11 PM. As is well known, Germany is the only country without speed limits on highways, but in cities, you cannot drive faster than 50 km/h. At that speed, I wouldn’t have made it in time to help the patient. So, I called the police directly from my car and requested an escort to the clinic. They asked me just two questions: my car’s license plate and which street they should “pick me up” on. Soon, a police car appeared ahead, flashed its headlights for me to follow, and we sped through the city at 150 km/h. At the clinic entrance, the officer rolled down his window, simply waved goodbye, and drove off.

I think no further explanation is needed.