News

New, reconstructed areas of the ground floor of the polyclinic were opened in Hospital in Zvolen, a member of group Agel. Thanks to the reconstruction worth € 100 000 will be available the new navigation system and central information desk. Hospital has already made a new neurological outpatient clinic and new areas for gynaecology last year. After reconstruction are also available modernized laboratories and the new pharmacy.   

Medical trade unions are arguing because of the amendment to the Labour Code, as it contains the exception, according to which doctors and nurses will be able to officially work 250 overtime hours. Despite the fact, that´s how it already worked in practice so far, act did not treat with the overtimes of healthcare professionals. Adjustment was made with the consent of Medical Trade Union of Healthcare, which has more than 23 000 members. Medical Trade Union and Medical Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives, however, do not like these changes.  

The largest network of pharmacies, Dr. Max, has collected 60 000 signatures for remaining of loyalty discounts in pharmacies. By the action, which was launched two months ago, this network wants to reverse the effort of the Government to prohibit the loyalty systems. Representatives of the network will submit the petitions to the Parliament in the coming days. Members of Parliament should by the end of November definitively approve the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals, which contains also the ban of discounts in pharmacies. 

Tariff salaries of employees working in hospitals associated in the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia should increase by 2.5% from October 1, 2012. By same per cent should increase also from January 1, 2013.  This is a verdict of an arbitrator Ľubomír Majerčík in the dispute for closing-down of the collective contract of higher level between the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia and Slovak Trade Union of Health and Social Services. 

Introduction of DRG system in Slovakia will be probably shifted. According to the original schedule, the pilot version SK-DRG 1.0 should have been prepared in spring this year. Then, from January next year, should start the running of DRG on the level of data collection, as well as the education of system users. According to Soňa Valášiková, spokeswoman of the Healthcare Surveillance Authority, which covers the project, office found out that some key components of the system are not completed or works have not even started yet.

Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives accepted the amendment to the Labour Code, which should enter into force in January next year, with embarrassment. According to them, the amendment on one hand changes several provisions in favour of employees and trade unions, on the other hand, the healthcare professionals will be forced to work even more than ever, what nurses cannot accept.  Therefore they turned themselves with an open letter to President Ivan Gašparovič and asked him to turn the proposal of the amendment to the Labour Code to Parliament for renegotiation. 

Medical Trade Union is asking the President Ivan Gašparovič to turn the amended Labour Code back to the renegotiation of the Parliament. They explained their reasons to the President of Slovak republic in the open letter. Head of the Trade Union, Peter Visolajský, in its letter claims, that Labour Code consists of lot of special, disabling exceptions for doctors, which aim is to mask the lack of doctors in the healthcare system. 

Without systematic changes in healthcare system the loss of three hospitals in the scope of Trenčín self-governmental region will this year reach the amount of € 5.5 – 6 million. This is an opinion of director of hospital in Prievidza, Ladislav Gerlich. Region still wants to get a rid of hospitals in Považská Bystrica, Myjava and Bojnice and return them back to state. According to Gerlich, this is a system problem, as the legislation adjustments of minimum wage claims of healthcare professionals were adopted and the costs of salaries automatically increase the costs of hospitals.  

Self-governmental regions are selling the last polyclinics. Next year they should all, apart from few exceptions, end up as private or city property. Self-governmental regions started to get clear of these institutions more than five years ago. Somewhere the polyclinics operate under the new owner better, but there are also some examples, when the sale has not ended well. New owner has not kept the doctors in polyclinics in Poltár, Tornaľa or Fiľakovo. This was at the expense of the patient, who has to travel throughout the city to get the health care. 

Nitra self-governmental region is again trying to sell the hospital in Šala. The offered complex is divided into five parts. Region reduced the prices set by the expertise by almost a third, so the price was totally decreased to € 3.5 million. Main building is currently being used by private doctors. Hospital was until 2010 operated by non-profit organization Forlife, which belongs to the group Agel. The reason of its departure was debts and no contracts with insurance companies.