HPI

In hospital in Vranov nad Topľov the reconstructed Radiological department and three new day care centres – neurological, internal and pulmonary, were put into operation. Providing of health care for patients has this way moved to the higher quality level. Day care centres are adapted to the modern outpatient infusion therapy and patients will thus not have to be hospitalized. 

Bratislava Regional Court in April dismissed the action of Association of Faculty Hospitals in the decision of arbitrator in collective dispute with trade unions, which talks about the increasing of salaries of healthcare professionals in state hospitals. Complaints of hospitals will thus be solved by the Supreme Court. First increasing should have taken place in April, the second one in June. It should be apply on 17 healthcare institutions. According to the arbitrator the requirements of trade unionists for increasing were legitimate.

According to Healthcare Surveillance Authority for now nearly 87.000 people expressed their interest to change the health insurance company from next year. Last year 162.399 applications for the change of heatlh insurance company were submitted, while Authority did not accept 5.068 of them due to varrious mistakes. From January 1st, 2012 thus 157.331 policyholders changed the health insurance company. Most applications last year were submitted to health insurance company Dôvera, followed by health insurance company Union and the least it was in Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company).

Situation in state hospitals is according to the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská disastrous. As she noted, if there is indebtedness, it is firstly necessary to remove its causes, what would according to her opinion never be made by the planned transformation of hospitals into the joint-stock companies. Debt of healthcare institutions in the scope of state was at the end of last year in amount of € 72.95 million. Most money hospitals owe to suppliers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Pharmaceutical companies are shifting the clinical examinations of new pharmaceuticals outside of Slovakia, what may threaten seriously ill patients. This was caused by the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals approved at the end of last year. According to it the submitter of clinical examination has to pay not only the costs related to study, like it is in other European countries, but also the costs associated with the treatment of patient during the clinical examination. Threat of clinical examination in Slovakia was also recognized by State Institute for Control of Pharmaceuticals.

Supervision over the pharmaceuticals for people will be tighten. This results from the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals, which was today approved with comments by Government and which, among other things, takes over the Directive of European Union. Legal standard tighten up the requirements for the pharmaceutical registration holders. Compared to the current status it is also added, that prescribing doctors bears the responsibility for therapeutic usage of un-registered pharmaceutical. The proposal will be voted by the Parliament.

Faculty hospital in Nitra has a new modern pavilion. In the pavilion will be located internal, neurological a cardiology clinic, about 25 different outpatient clinics, laboratory workstations and central reception. Building required the costs in amount of € 16.657 million, which were covered by structural funds of European Union. Moving of particular workstations to the new pavilion will start during next week.

Minister of Health after her accession recalled notices of 17 directors of state hospitals and healthcare institutions for now. The reason of their exchange is, according to the Ministry, their mistakes. Directors were surprised by the argument of mistakes. Exchange of directors of hospitals and other healthcare institutions is automatically repeated after each change of government. According to the analyst of INEKO, Dušan Zachar, it is unnecessary, because these are not the positions, which would directly create the state health policy.

Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic approved the concentration constisting in obtaining of indirect exclusive control of company Penta over the company Domov Zdravia. Company Domov Zdravia besides other things controls the network of 40 public pharmacies in 30 cities in the Slovak Republic. Currently already 136 pharmacies under the brand Dr. Max falls under Penta company. Office allegedly concluded that the considered concentration will not create or strenghten the dominant position of Penta.

In the Ministry of Health, as well as in several departmental organizations the contracts concluded in previous administration are being reviewed. Ministry still does not want to specify its findings, according to its spokeswoman Zuzana Čižmáriková they will be introduced on the press conference. Contracts are being reviewed also for example in the Operation Centre of Emergency Medical service in Slovakia and in state-owned emergency service in Bratislava.