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Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives is in open letter asking the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská and Minister of Labour Ján Richter to enable the nurses in social services institutions to provide health care again. Departmental bosses should according to them implement into the legislation the adjustment allowing social services institutions on the base of permit and license to become the providers of health care. Nurses argue that there are mostly old people with medical problems in nursing homes who need the health care.

Private doctors do not want to send the documents on issued sick-calls to Social Insurance Company electronicaly, but prefer traditional mail. They claim that they will fill in the formulares through internet only in case if the social insurance company pay them for it. Workers of Social Insurance Company are transcribing the documents from doctors into the computers manually for now. From begining of May the Social Insurance Company started the operation of electronical transmission of documents. Only small number of doctors expressed the interest in this form. For example in Trenčín region there are only 10% of them.

In the hospital in Humenné the reconstructed facilities of reception and outpatient part of children's department was today put into operation. Costs of building project reached an amount of € 15 000. Reconstruction of the children's department was one of this year's investment priorities in the facilities of hospital. Hospital in Humenné belongs to the company Svet zdravia, which proceeds in this year's reconstruction of a network of hospitals that are managed under the terms defined in its investment plan.

Slovak mothers are dissatisfied with the acting of maternal clinics right after the childbirth. This resulted from the evaluation through the internet guide of Slovak maternal clinics, on which already 3 650 mothers has participated. As the best was assessed the trust in expertness of medical team during the childbirth. Equally high mothers evaluated also the possibility to have accompanying person at the childbirth and do not undermine the equipment of the delivery rooms. Worst marks were given to maternal clinics for the support of early contact between mother and baby immediately after birth.  

Former head of state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP), Marian Faktor, received in April, short time before his departure, the bonus in amount of € 14 229. According to the spokeswoman of the insurance company, under contract on his function the variable component of the bonus for performance of function depending on reaching profit of insurance company in 2011 was paid to him. In approximately 19 months of his function Factor earned totally about € 220 000. He had a monthly salary in amount of € 6 500 and the bonus € 3 220 for holding of the function of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Besides that he received 3 bonuses.

Ministry is in these days definitely deciding on the prices of pharmaceuticals, which will enter into force from June. Since then the pharmaceuticals in Slovakia should be the second lowest in the frame of European Union. Health insurance companies should therefore this year save tens of millions of euros. Recent estimations count on the savings in amount of about € 40 million. Health insurance companies should, however, save money also due to further measures in pharmaceutical policy. 

Using of € 50 million reserve will not solve the crisis situation with increasing of healthcare professionals salaries permanently. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská is, despite this fact, not afraid of the problems with planned July and January increasing of salaries of doctors. There will be, according to her, enough money for it. Salaries should be covered by higher payments for state policyholders or the stricter regulation of the profits of health insurance companies. Ministry plans to tighten up and modify the conditions, under which the insurance companies may keep their profits.

The effectiveness of the amendment to the act on health insurance, which should implement the new mechanism of allocating of premiums between health insurance companies and ease the reporting of solvency of insurance companies, is to be shifted. Originally it should have entered into force at the beginning of June, but in June it will only be in the second reading in Parliament. Act should allegedly enter into force around mid-July. This shifting will, according to the Ministry of Health, not affect the new reallocation of premiums, which should bring more money to state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa). Money from new reallocation will come to insurance companies as was originally planned, ergo in October.

Honorary President of the Medical Trade Union, Marián Kollár, which led the protests of doctors in time of Iveta Radičová Government and also the second cabinet of Mikuláš Dzurinda, will compete for the chair of President of Slovak Medical Chamber. As candidate he was officially proposed by Bratislava Regional Chamber. He also feels the support from other regional chambers, where he presented his ideas. So far he did not indicate the program, with which he wants to apply for the trust of members and wants to present it on the assembly.

Controversial license for taking of the blood plasma, which was given to private company in conflict with the standards of European Union by former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik, is being perceived by analysts and experts variously. While economists believe that opening of the market may increase the number of donors, healthcare experts warn that competition will cause the lack of plasma for slovak patients. Until now the state National Transfusion Service had a monopoly for taking of the plasma.