News

Pharmaceutical companies warn that new redistribution of pharmaceuticals from July will bring higher additional surcharges for patients. They note that while insurance companies will pay less, the surcharges of the patient might in some cases increase by 600%. Ministry of Health was surprised by the reaction of pharmaceutical companies.

Minister of Health agreed with insurance companies that they will give money from € 50 million reserve in state budget in full amount to the hospitals and outpatient clinics, which need them to cover the higher wages of healthcare professionals. State, however, can not force private insurance companies Dôvera and Union to forward all apportioned money to health care providers. State has such a power only in case of state owned Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company). Minister thus received from the association of insurance companies only the verbal promises. The written agreement in the form of common memorandum is being prepared.  

Robert Fico´s Government plans to implement strict control of hospital management. Government, however, does not want to continue with the transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies, intended by the previous Government. Fico's cabinet will allegedly not admit the privatization of economically lucrative activities of hospitals and will create the conditions for their financial stabilization. Government will not transform the university, faculty and public hospitals into joint-stock companies in the next 4 years. This way it wants to prevent their privatization and reducing of the quality of provided health care, as well as the threatening of the existence of hospitals.

Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská expects that in next two months hospitals and outpatient clinics will act approachable by the fulfilling of the Act on minimum wage claims of nurses. Employers have now, according to her, different view on the situation. Minister agreed with insurance companies that money from € 50 million reserve in state budget will be fully used for the healthcare providers. 

Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives on the concilioum in Poprad did not adopt any severe measures in order to reach the fulfillment of statutory  minimum wages of nurses. President of the Chamber believes that agreements and promises given by the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská will be fulfilled. Nurses considered the tougher measures in case if the minimum wage claims of nurses would not be fulfilled.

Association of Hospitals in Slovakia calls for increasing of the next year's payments for state policyholders to 5% of average wage. This would prevent the repeating of the current critical situation in healthcare system with the lack of financial cover for mandatorily increased salaries of nurses and doctors. Association also plans to request the Parliament to adjust both acts – on wage conditions of doctors and nurses, as they are non-systematic and not financially covered.

Future of the Children's Sanatorium Trávnica for children with atopic eczema and dermo-respiratory syndrome was discussed on Thursday at the Ministry of Health. This instution is formaly integrated under the polyclinic in Šurany, which is allgedly struggling with the lack of money for salaries of nurses. The city of Šurany therefore speculates to close it. After meeting with Minister the director of hospital informed that Ministry has an ambition to solve this problem. They have, however, not found the final solution yet.

Health insurance company Dôvera does not expect profit in 2012. Insurance company plans to use all the resources from health insurance on the health care, with the exception of the resources for its own operation. Despite this fact, increasing of payments for hospitals will not be enough to cover the costs of mandatorily increased salaries of nurses (from April) and doctors (second phase of increase from July). Dôvera will negotiate on the specific increasing with the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia in May, new condition should apply from June.

Disabled persons suggested the creation of parliamentary group, which would deal with their problems. According to the President of National Council of Disabled Persons, Branislav Mamojka, it should be a group of members of Parliament from different political parties with different focus and one of the areas, which should be considered intensively and systematically, would be the issue of persons with disabilities. Mamojka informed that group of members of Parliament dealing with the problems of disabled persons is functional also in European Parliament.

Hospitals in Dolný Kubín, Trstená, Čadca and Liptovský Mikuláš agreed that they are really threatened by bankruptcy. Hospitals of the Žilina region have minimum numbers of employees, the payments from insurance companies, however, are still not enough for salaries and mandatory contributions, in addition the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are being purchased on debt. If they followed the law and increased the salaries of nurses in April, directors would have to close the hospitals.