HPI

Healthcare Surveillance Authority (HSA) announced that it will initiate the complaint in the case of company, which is suspected from illegal earning on the export of tissues from dead donors abroad. HSA has terminated the contract with Company Tissue Research Institute in April. Suspicion arises from the fact that company, which had a permit from Ministry of Health for operation of tissue institution, did not process the tissues by itself and has not concluded the contract for processing of taken tissues with other healthcare provider. This happened despite the facts that act on health care commands it.

Management of Bardejov Spa expects this year an increasing of the visit rate on the level of 5-10%. According to the director in 2011 Spa recorded the sale in amount of € 7.989 million and profit before tax amounted to € 225 033. He added, that in last 20 months company invested into the reconstruction of buildings and equipment more than € 3.8 million, of which € 460 000 were grants from EU funds.

No relieving of debts of four hospitals in the scope of Žilina self-governmental region according to the President of the region, Juraj Blanár, causes further discrimination in the area of wage conditions of healthcare professionals. According to him the differences in salaries were caused by the legislation made in the times of former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik. He stressed that Žilina region has been long-termly adverting the differences in salaries of doctors and nurses in hospitals in the scope of region and state-owned hospitals.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority in the frame of commenting on the amendment to the act on health care proposes to introduce the regulation of the export of tissues abroad. This is the reaction to the recent case, when private tissue institution did not use the collected tissues for Slovak recipients, but exported them to other countries. Current legislation dealing with tissues does not content any conditions and restrictions of the export and import of tissues to other countries.  

Interests of nurses and midwives will be represented by new trade unions in the form of Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives. As the president of the Union Viliam Záborský was chosen, who works as a nurse at bedside in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava. Nurses are currently represented by the Slovak Trade Union of Health and Social Services. According to Záborský, the only solution how nurses can fight for their dignified position in the society and to defend their status is the creation of their own trade union. 

L. Pasteur University hospital in Košice opened the workstation for preparation of issue and cell transplants. Costs on top-quality laboratories and outpatient clinics reached € 2.17 million and were financed from the EU funds. Construction works started in October last year. Costs on construction exceeded € 1.1 million and on medical and laboratory equipment reached more than € 1 million. Workstation meets the stringent European criteria and enables to develop and apply new scientific and treating procedures into the practice. 

Debts of hospitals against Social Insurance Company for three months increased approximately by € 10 million. Most dramatically increased the outstanding commitments of University hospital in Bratislava. Hospital already did not pay Social Insurance Company € 9 million. Overall the debt of the largest hospitals stands at € 30 million. Like in other hospitals, also here the delegated director Miroslav Bdžoch wants to solve the situation by the reduction of number of employees.

General hospital with polyclinic in Levoča opened a new oncology outpatient clinic. Month-long reconstruction of older facilities direct within the hospital area, in the surgery building and on the department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care was worth more than € 30 000. Oncology outpatient clinic was until now placed in the building outside of the area. Capacity of the clinic after reconstruction increased from two to three beds for application of chemotherapy, what will accelerate and improve the treatment of patients. 

According to the President of Parliamentary Health Committee, Richard Raši, the common act for all healthcare professionals solving their salaries does not mean, that Ministry will touch the contested wages of doctors and nurses. This way he reacted to the concerns of doctors, that the protests from last year will be repeated. As he added, he accepts that currently hospitals have a problem with paying higher wages, but Ministry according to him will not risk any further protests. 

Ministry of Health launched a recruitment process for directors' positions in hospitals – subsidized organizations and National Health Information Centre. Current directors are appointed to the office only temporarily, after the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská called out previous directors. Besides university and faculty hospitals the changes occurred also in the Institute of Nuclear and Molecular Medicine in Košice. For the positions of directors in specialized hospitals, which operate as joint-stock companies, Ministry launched the recruitment process in May.