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Nurses came out to Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská with new requirements. They do not exclude, that if these requirements will not be met, they will launch the strike activities. At the head of the list is a request for a legal standard, which will replace the stopped act on increasing of their salaries. Nurses, in addition to the solution of wage issue, want from the Minister to solve also the distribution of the duties, as some hospitals avoided the increasing of wages by shifting nurses to the position of administrative assistant.
Bratislava according to Prime Minister Robert Fico needs a new top university hospital. He therefore delegated Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská to submit to the negotiation of the Government the material as soon as possible. This material would offer the insight into the solution of possible completion of hospital Rázsochy in Bratislava, as well as the alternative way to this step in the form of a brand new hospital. Government will afterwards decide on the proposal of Minister Zvolenská.
Medical trade unionists did not make an agreement with Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská on third increasing of salaries even after 4 hours of negotiations. Zvolenská claims that state does not have money for it. Trade unionists, however, insist on fulfilling of memorandum signed with former Government. They are not directly talking about the mass deposing, but their statements and actions do not exclude this proceeding. Through the questionnaire on their website they are trying to find out, whether their colleagues are willing to enter the strike again.
In on-coming days Bratislava will become the centre of action not just European, but also the world wide’s neurosurgery. The annual congress of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) expects about 500 participants from 67 countries and 60 exhibitors. As was stated by the head of the congress, the chief of Department of Neurosurgery of the Medical Faculty of Comenius University, professor Juraj Šteňo, the motto is to treat patients, to preserve brain functions and the brain examination.
Hospitals last year paid almost € 180 000 to Healthcare Surveillance Authority for mistakes in treating of patients. This year it could be even more, as the Authority in the first half of this year imposed or proposed other authorities to impose hospitals the penalties in amount of more than € 100 000. Patients may demand for significantly higher amounts, if they sue hospital for mistake by the treatment on the court.
One health insurance company, completion of Rázsochy hospital and salaries of healthcare professionals were the main topics of the discussion between Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská and Prime Minister Robert Fico, during the check day on the Ministry of Health. One of the most actual issues was the transition to one health insurance company system. As was stressed by Fico, they are ready to use all legal means to reach this aim, while they keep on relying on the schedule, which counts on implementation of unitary system from January 2014.
Faculty hospital and policlinic in Žilina wants from November 1, 2012 to introduce the uneven distribution of working hours and merge 8 departments into 4. This organizational change should eliminate the overtimes, streamline the management and operations. According to the director of the hospital, Štefan Volák, the previous results of managing are negative. Hospital though gives 90% of incomes from health insurance companies to the wages of employees.
Hospital in Poprad opened ten new operating rooms. Reconstruction and technological modernization was worth more than € 16 million, while the most of it was covered by resources from EU funds. Management of the hospital expects that change will bring the improving of the quality of services and shortening of waiting times. EU in the frame of Operational program Health contributed to rebuilding with € 13.95 million.
Memorandum signed by former Government guaranteed doctors the New Year's increasing of their wages. According to Zvolenská, there is, however, a lack of money, so she wants to postpone it, untill one health insurance company will be implemented. This should start working from January or July 2014. It is not excluded, that last increasing of salaries of doctors will be hold off until 2015. Ministry of Health refuses to talk about the details of its proposal with the media.
In Slovakia, there is no unit concept of diagnosis, treatment and overall care of patients with rare diseases. On today's negotiation in Gabčíkovo the Government has approved the National Strategy of Development of the health care of patients with rare diseases for the years 2012 – 2013. Its aim is to prepare the national plan of health care of these patients and recast it into the health and social care.