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Changes in pricing of pharmaceuticals were confirmed by 76 Members of Parliament yesterday. According to amendment to Act on pharmaceuticals, the price in Slovakia should be not higher than the average of the three lowest prices in the European Union. This principle is also related to medical devices and dietary supplements. Members of Parliament also approved the proposal of chairman of Health Committee Richard Raši (Smer-SD). He proposed that pharmacists could give discounts on surcharge to patients. As finally results from the amendment, the discount can be up to half of the surcharge.   

One-day surgery can save resources and is also usually more comfortable for the patient. Few years ago, one-day surgery was not common in Slovakia but nowadays almost a third of all interventions are performed by one-day surgery. According to President of the Slovak Association of One-day Surgery Eva Vidová, there are still shortcomings in some specializations, for instance urology. As she noticed, hospitals are trying to keep their beds, although, many of them are redundant. 

The Doctors of Hospital in Žilina who rebelled against the new employment contracts and refuse to serve the emergency services have the highest average salary in all government hospitals. While certified doctor of University Hospital in Bratislava earns monthly € 2.259 gross, the doctors in Žilina receives on average € 2.841. Above standard wages are paid through the duplicated reimbursement of emergency services. If doctors have during one month three services, they receive a reward of 50 per cent of basic salary together with the price stated in internal decree. President of the Medical Trade Union in Žilina Peter Blasko, sees no problem in cancelling this allowance.

Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives refuses to replace nurses in the emergency by rescue workers. According to the proposal of Ministry of Health, during service they may not be three nurses, but only two and one could be replaced by the rescue worker. The resort claims that rescue workers are as trained to provide medical care as nurses. The chamber is uncertain, how can be three nurses replaced by two people and pointing out on reduction of staff norm.

From the beginning of next year the state will stop paying contribution for some of its policyholders like working pensioners, students, and women receiving the parental allowance, whom an annual assessment base 15 times exceeds the subsistence minimum, which is for next year 2 918.7 euro. State will be no longer paying health insurance contributions for those policyholders, who are working and their monthly assessment base of their employment will be higher than € 243.2. This stems from an amendment to the Health Insurance Act, which was on November 29, 2012 approved by parliament. Currently, the state pays health insurance for its policyholders even if these people have earned some income. This leads to parallel payments of health insurance contributions by working state policyholder and also by state. 

From January the payments in pharmacies may change. Pharmacies will have to withdraw the loyalty cards and programs. Instead of this, they will be able to give a discount on its margin, which ranges from twelve to fifteen per cent according to the price of the product. Surcharge for individual drug will not be able to reduce by more than half. This is proposed by Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska in drug reform, which parliament should approve in the coming days. Analysts and Ministry of Finance, however, worries that the new measure will have a negative impact on public finances. Health insurance companies do not like the proposal either.

Some doctors of Hospital in Žilina are rebelling against the director. On Saturday, according to the order of director, did not have to remain on department for long-term sickness any doctor. The doctor, however, did not bidding the order. During his services he at last had to handle with acute conditions. Medical Trade Union in this context called for immediate intervention Minister of Health. According to the hospital director Štefan Volák, doctors only spread the panic that the people will not provide the health care. He is arguing that the patients in all departments have been properly cared for over the weekend.

The Government does not have a clear idea of  the new hospital in Bratislava, which is according to Prime Minister Robert Fico urgently needed, but construction companies are already ready to build. The Prime Minister either the Ministry of Health do not know whether the state will finish the hospital Rázsochy or build a new one. However, Fico estimated the cost on more than € 0.5 billion. Even without knowing the details of the construction of hospital the companies known from PPP projects like Doprastav, Váhostav, or OHL Pozemné stavby are particularly interested in this project. Other companies such as Skanska SK and Strabag are still waiting on more details of the project to make an announcement. 

The debts of hospitals to Social Insurance Company increased over the past year by € 33 million and currently amounts € 52 million. Compared to last year the distribution of debt among hospitals in the scope of Ministry of Health and smaller regional hospitals has changed. The bigger facilities are more in debt. For example, the three smaller hospitals - in Dunajská Streda, Trebišov and Vranov nad Topľou, reduce their obligation. Hospital in Trebišov, owned by financial group Penta, reduced its debt by € 230.000, but still owes to Social Insurance Company more than € 27.000. Rest of the eight hospitals and two detached offices in the scope of Penta fulfil the obligations to Social Insurance Company.

Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska dismissed the director of psychiatric hospital in Veľké Zálužie, Mrs. Mária Kabátová. This step has evocated a strong negative reaction of facility staff. They sent an anonymous letter to the Minister of Health in which decision to revoke the director severely criticized. They indicate that the decision has had a political overtone, as Minister dismissed the director of a thriving medical facility for any reason. Zvolenska refused to explain the reasons that led her to revocation of the director.