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Released doctors of Faculty hospital in Žilina refuse to work the evening service during the notice period, what is around a third of all services in December. Spokeswoman of the hospital claims that the hospital is able to secure fully constitutional emergency services for all departments. Ministry of Health, however, is not satisfied with the situation. According to its spokeswoman, hospital is looking for all options to ensure evening service. On such a critical situation warned the deputy head of emergency department, Jozef Trgiňa, already at the end of last week. 

From the next year will be paid higher healthcare payment from dividends. The rate will be increased from current 10% to 14% of the tax base. This results from the amendment to the act on health insurance, which was approved by members of Parliament. Proposal of the act should react to the need of fiscal consolidation and total reducing of the deficit of public finances. How much money will this measure bring, according to the Ministry of Health, not possible to quantify in advance. 

Implementation of E-health is according to the director of National Health Information Centre still delayed. Healthcare professionals are waiting for e-health from 1996, when it was approved by Government as priority, which should lead to the improvement of patient security and to efficient use of resources. Currently the project is still in the first phase. According to his estimation, pharmacies and outpatient clinics should first-time be able to try the e-health not sooner than in 2016.  

Union health insurance company has not yet agreed on the form of next year's contracts with the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia. Health insurance company has contracts with hospitals with different validation, until the end of this year or until March 2014. Union allegedly explained the details of its offer to representatives of the Association, who will express themselves next week. Small hospitals will thus continue in negotiations, hereby they are asking for remaining of the price for hospitalization in 2013 on the level of second half of 2012. 

Hundreds of patients are already today making appointments for operations in 2015, but also in 2017. Waiting times depend on capacities of hospitals, but also on the financial possibilities of three health insurance companies. Ministry of Health for now does not have a plan how to solve the waiting lists, when the three insurance companies will be merged. According to the spokeswoman of the Ministry, these issues will be solved by the law, which will be subsequently prepared after implementing of unitary system. 

Ministry of Health will have € 350 000 more available for the computerization of healthcare system. Government on Wednesday approved the requirement of the Ministry for re-allocation of capital expenditures from previous year. Money originally intended for rationalization and restructuring of healthcare institutions in scope of Ministry and their subsequent transformation into the joint-stock companies, will be now used for supporting projects of e-health. Specifically it will be an ensuring of protection of personal data and database.  

Debts of healthcare institutions on insurance premium continue to rise. By the end of October they owed Social Insurance Company an amount of € 52.1 million. Compared to September, there was an increase by more than € 4 million, at the end of last year the debts of hospitals or other institutions were lower by almost € 33.3 million. This results from the information, which was originally supposed to be a part of negotiation of the Government. For technical reasons, however, Government should deal with it at one of the next sessions. 

Economy measures of the director of Faculty hospital in Žilina, Štefan Volák, provoked the strong resentment of its employees. In an effort to streamline the management gave notice to 18 doctors. Doctors refuse these measures and turned themselves to Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská. She, however, made a stand for director. Director faces the extreme criticism also due to the effort for releasing of the boss of trade unionists in Žilina, Peter Blaško. Representatives of medical trade unions from Poland, Czech republic and Hungary designated this step as a rapid intervention in the principles of democracy.  

Representatives of Slovak Chamber of Pharmacists brought members of Parliament the book Gorila. This way they want to draw their attention to the fact, that proposal to the act on surcharges for pharmaceuticals is according to the Chamber made expressly in behalf of financial group Penta and its network of pharmacies Dr. Max. Beside the book the representatives of the Chamber passed also the open letter, in which they ask members of Parliament to refuse the proposal to the amendment to the act on extend and conditions of payments for pharmaceuticals. 

Department of trauma surgery in J. A. Reiman Faculty hospital and policlinic in Prešov will certainly ensure the services also in December. On Friday, 10 out of 17 doctors from this department asked for omission in the performance of overtime work. The reason of this step should have been the overdrawn limit set by the Labour Code. Director of the hospital, Radoslav Čuha, stated, that management of this healthcare institution has agreed with doctors, who have withdrawn their requests.