HPI

Investment group Penta should in a short time become the only owner of largest private health insurance company Dôvera. Until now it has been sharing the property exactly in half with Cyprus holding company Prefto Holding. Penta has, however, agreed with Prefto shareholders on the purchasing of its 50% share. The reason is allegedly the disagreement between the shareholders of both companies. Price paid by Penta will not be published. Whole transaction has to be approved by Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic.

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP(General Health Insurance Company) is planning to spend € 420 000 on advertising. It has ordered the TV, print and radio advertising, as well as billboards and benches in the frame of campaign for the change of insurance company. This way it wants to fight for the clients of private health insurance companies, who may chose it until the end of September. If VšZP is successful, Dôvera and Union would thus have a lower value, if state will buy them. 

Private hospital in Šaca (district of Košice) is allegedly violating the rights of consumers by collecting of flat administrative fee in amount of € 1.2 for providing of extra services. According to the head of Consumer Centre, Miroslav Antoňak, by collecting of this fee the private hospital is violating the law, as by the common outpatient examination it does not provide any extra services, which would be somehow characterized. Hospital refuses these allegations. 

The proposal of Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská to renew the terminal network of hospitals is withstanding the wave of criticism. Ministry wants the 36 state healthcare institutions to have the contracts with insurance companies guaranteed from October. Several experts, however, warn against excessive distortion of the market. Proposal in the commentary proceeding was criticized also by all main actors from the health sector – doctors, hospitals and also insurance companies.

Total debt of Roosevelt Faculty Hospital in Banská Bystrica is in amount of about € 30 million, of which around € 24 million are overdue liabilities. Economic situation of the hospital has been, however, according to the director of hospital Vladimír Baláž, in the last half of year slightly improving. Management of the hospital expects the more significant change from the upcoming restructuring, which will bring also the reducing of number of employees.

Export of pharmaceuticals from Slovakia abroad will, according to the pharmaceutical companies, not be decreased even after the adjustments of pharmaceutical laws proposed by the Ministry of Health. Representatives of producers and suppliers of pharmaceuticals are even afraid that the act, which should put the re-export under control, will not be valid at all. The reason is its conflict with the EU legislation. 

Chambers of healthcare professionals call for adoption of legislation changes, which would strengthen their competencies. They would welcome the compulsory membership or greater participation in matters related to the exercise of their profession. According to the Vice President of Slovak Pharmaceutical Chamber, Ondrej Sukeľ, for each healthcare profession there should be the concrete professional legislation defined. He notes that the current law does not respect the differences of particular professions and does not bring any competences for Chambers, only the responsibilities. 

Slovak Medical University in Bratislava is in these days completing the realization of the project of its developement, for which it received € 564 000 from EU funds. Developement Program was launched in May 2010 and its result is an implementation of e-learning form of education, strentgething of teaching skills of teachers and post-graduants or creating of learning program focused on improving of the quality of science and research work of teachers and post-graduants. 

Ministry of Health plans in the proposed amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals to order pharmaceutical companies to provide Ministry with the list of meetings with doctors. Ministry would afterward publish it on its website. Producers of generic pharmaceuticals do not like this measure, as it will according to them worsen the business environment. Legal standard should after approving by the Government, Parliament and after signing by the President enter into force on July 2, 2013.

Slovak Association of Pharmaceutical Companies Oriented to the Research and Development warns that valid acts as well as Code of Ethic of the Association expressly prohibit pharmaceutical companies to pay leisure and relaxing activities for doctors and healthcare professionals. This is set by current act on pharmaceuticals and medical devices and even proposed changes would not change it. Pharmaceutical companies want and suggest that the rules of the support of professional events should be transparent.