HPI

Total wage costs only on doctors in L. Pasteur University Hospital in Košice in June this year amounted to approximately € 1.15 million. After July increasing the hospital will pay extra € 50 000. Hospital increased the salaries only to doctors who did not reach the lower level of wage set by the amendment to the act on healthcare providers. Hospital this way equalized the minimum basic wage of 332 doctors. According to the spokeswoman, the management of hospital is consistently seeking for the financial reserves. 

All three health insurance companies operating in Slovakia have in the first half of this year reached the profit. The biggest profit was reached by state Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company), which by the end of June showed the profit in amount of € 17.9 million. According to its spokeswoman, however, this insurance company has reached lower profit than was expected. It was affected especially by spending of higher amounts by the healthcare providers in the season of increasing of salaries of doctors and nurses.

Slovak Union of Sclerosis Multiplex has resigned from the petition launched in June this year. Patients with sclerosis multiplex required in this petition the change of indication restrictions of terminally ill patients and approving of the pharmaceutical for gait disturbance. Representatives of the Ministry, according to the President of the Union, Jarmila Fajnorová, on the meeting clarified the ambiguities and promised to help patients with problems with the treatment. Sclerosis Multiplex Union Nádej, which has initiated the launching of petition, however, continues in collecting of signatures.

Second increasing of wages was not applied to all doctors. Hospitals were adjusting the salaries only to those, who until now did not reach the minimum wage set by the law. In the case of unattested doctor it is € 923, the attested doctor should receive at least € 1 461. Such an increasing was gained in their last year's nationwide strike.

According to the representatives of Slovak Chamber of Nurses the prolonging of external study in the Universities will not bring anything to nurses, it will only pull more money out of their pockets. For one year of a study of nursing they pay from € 700 to € 1 300, depending on university. Bachelor study should be prolonged by one year and master study by two years. This is proposed in the amendment to the academic act made by Minister of Education, Dušan Čaplovič.  

Healthcare professionals should next year get more money again. Former Government paid 4% for its policyholders and the same percentage is currently assumed also by the first proposal of the budget of actual Government. Healthcare system should totally get from the insurance and from state by almost 4% more than last year, what means more than € 150 million. It should be enough for covering of higher salaries of nurses and doctors. Estimations were about € 100 – 150 million per year. 

Slovak Pharmaceutical Chamber welcomes the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals, which should prohibit the loyalty systems. After its approval also the networks of pharmacies should end. This legal standard should in the case of its approval in Government, Parliament and after the sign of the President enter into force on January 2, 2013. According to the Vice President of the Chamber, Ondrej Sukeľ, up to a quarter of patients are seeking for discounts and bonuses in the pharmacies. Discounts in pharmacies according to him, significantly affects especially pensioners. 

Comfort Centre for treatment of sclerosis multiplex was built on II. Neurological clinic in F. D. Roosevelt Faculty hospital and polyclinic in Banská Bystrica. Centre has a capacity of three beds, two seats and the infusion treatment is currently set for 16 patients. Reconstruction of this area cost approximately € 10 000 and was financed by sponsorship.

Ministry of Health claims that at present there is an alarming increase of pharmaceuticals, which are falsified in relation to their identity, history or origin. Ministry of Health therefore in its amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals and medical devices proposes the measures, which should prevent their spreading. Aim of the amendment is to adopt the European Directive from June 2011. Ministry in its material states that counterfeit pharmaceuticals usually contain either substandard or counterfeit ingredients, contain no ingredients or ingredients, including active substances, in wrong amount.

Bardejov Spa is struggling with the decrease of visitors. In the first half of 2012 the curative procedures were undergone by 1 142 patients less than in 2011. The drop of visits might by according to the Spa caused by the change of the law. Payments of health insurance companies were decreased by some diagnosis. Some patients thus probably cannot afford the spa anymore. Bardejov Spa has partly compensated this decrease by attracting of self-paying visitors.