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HPI
Minister of Finance does not want to give hospitals money from the state budget reserve to cover the increase of salaries of doctors and nurses approved by the Parliament. According to MoF Minister of Health declared that he will cover the increasing of salaries within his budget chapter. According to Ministry of Health, however, doctors will not see any money from state in January. MoH still relies on the fact that health insurance companies will save about € 100 million next year due the pharmaceutical reform and will redirect them to hospitals. Hospitals, however, do not know how to overcome this season.
According to the internet edition of daily Pravda from 22/12/2011 also nurses and midwives are threaten with the mass notices. The reason should be the ambition of SDKU (political party) to amend the act on increasing of their salaries with and increase of other healthcare employees's salaries. Nurses, however, do not want to share the resources assigned for increasing of their salaries. They argue that nobody healthcare workers supported them when they had beem fighting for them almost all the year. If the law will be not approved in its "nurses-only" wording, they are resolved, according to the model of doctors, to leave the hospitals.
From the beginning of the next year the patients' co-payments for medical devices will be reduced. Ministry of Health has finally agreed with the supply points and suppliers of medical devices. Notified reduction of business margin to medical devices by 6.5% will became real from January the 1st 2012. This step according to Ministry means a savings in total amount of € 4,9 million for health insurance companies and about € 135 000 for patients from co-payments. Reduction of business margin is connected with the new Act on Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices.
Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik wants to call in 300 doctors from Ukraine to Slovakia – surgeons, traumatology doctors, anaesthetists and gynaecologists. These specialists were missing the most in hospitals, when doctors noticed en masse. Minister argues that this is the response to the long-term requirements of professional medical associations, which had been complaining about lack of specialists.
Slovak Medical Chamber suspects state-owned General health insurance company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa) of monopolistic behaviour and therefore appealed on Antimonopoly Office in August. According to the Chamber the insurance company is imposing unreasonable conditions in the frame of dominant position. The Antimonopoly Office sees no reason of bringing action against the insurance company. Despite of this the Office is reportedly examining the incurance company's contracting with diagnostic laboratories on unfair business conditions
Childrens' faculty hospital and clinic in Bratislava has a new workplace of Intensive care unit at the Department of pathological newborns. Hospital managed to reconstruct the old one thanks to the money from the sale of surplus assets (€ 371 000), the heritage from USA (€ 77 000) and the gifts (€ 56 000). Moreover, the Archbishop of Bratislava gave the director of hospital check for € 89 400. Archbishop wishes that hospital will use the money for purchasing of medical equipment.
Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik has allegedly the plan how to cover the higher salaries of doctors. By mid-January he should introduce the solution of financial problems of hospitals that have arisen due to the fact that since the beginning of next year they should give doctors the higher salaries. According to the head of Association of Hospitals of Slovakia Marián Petko Minister should announce the instructions after January the 15th.
According to the internet edition of daily Hospodárske noviny Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik does not have resources to increase the salaries by more than € 300, though he claims the opposite. Hospitals will allegedly save the resources, as from next year they start central procurement. According to former minister Richard Raši increasing of salaries is not covered: if it should happen by December 1st, it cannot be covered by savings from administering, which should start later on. The first step to increase the salaries should have been, according to Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, also the finances, that insurance company sent to hospitals. According to the President of Association of Hospitals of Slovakia, Marián Petko, money from public insurance company will not be enough, as for example Hospital in Bardejov would need approximately 10 times more.
According to the latest information doctors earn significantly more than is publicly declared. According to the analysis of the Institute for economic and social reforms it may be up to € 500 more. According to the Institute the revenues from insurance companies should be almost the only revenues of our doctors, but those, in fact, receive a part of revenues from patients, eventually from pharmaceutical companies or from the other sources. Those are, for instance, charges for privileged checkup, charges for checkup for administrative purposes such as confirmation for driving licence or for the college registration, charges for services above standard, but also some unofficial payments. These revenues may reportedly come up to € 500 monthly.
The critical situation in healthcare system because of doctors' protest most badly hit the capital city Bratislava. The worst development has taken place in the University hospital. Departments remained half-empty, doctors cancelled the operations and hotlines were mostly vacant. Situation was constantly changing and hospital was gradually lacking to about 350 doctors. The worst situation was allegedly on traumatology, orthopaedic and surgery departments. Management of hospital assured patients, that it can handle the situation, but representatives of doctors warned that the reality is much more critical. On Thursday afternoon it was necessary to transport four patients from University hospital to St. Michal's Hospital, which is not fully used and is able to help the University hospital if necessary.
