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New Minister of Health, Zuzana Zvolenská, asked hospitals not to push nurses to unfavourable contracts. On her first meeting with nurses they discussed how to find money for statutory increasing of their salaries. Minister says that money could be gained by better setting of healthcare system or by finishing the setting of prices of pharmaceuticals. She has already negotiated about this situation with Minister of Finance and claims that she did not ask for money out of health chapter. Minister wants to find money also in the state-owned Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company).

Salaries of nurses in hospital in Malacky are from April not in accordance with law. Hospital for now does not increase the salaries to the minimum level of € 640 granted by the law, as, according to its director, hospital does not have resources for it. Management of hospital offered nurses the amendments to their contracts, which divided their duty for medical and administrative part. Nurses refused it, so the original contracts remain in force. Hospital is now expecting the visit from the labour inspectorate, which will examine whether the wage situation is in accordance with the law. 

Small shareholders are preparing the proposal for issuing of interim measure, which will prevent the selling of the assets of Zentiva Hlohovec. The reason is their fear that main shareholder (joint-stock company Zentiva) wants to sell Zentiva Hlohovec deeply below its price. Share of small shareholders on the fixed assets of the company is on the level of 1%. As results from the statement of small shareholders, the major shareholder allegedly obscures the facts about the sale, which has technically already started.

Political party Smer does not like the order for modernization of distress line 155 from the time of former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik. Contract worth more than € 3 million was approved without the public competition. Chairman of the Parliamentary Health Care Committee, Richard Raši, therefore wants to ask Minister of Health to examine this cause of possible wasting of public resources. He has principal stipulations about the way the contract was concluded. Order is currently being examined by the Public Procurement Office. 

Doctors fighting for higher payments from health insurance companies want to deal with the situation with new Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská. According to the President of Slovak Medical Chamber, Milan Dragula, it is necessary to calm down the situation in system and to find different solutions. In March Chamber started to collect the authorizations from doctors, by which it might ask self-government units for an interim suspension of licences for providing of health care. This way Chamber wants to get bigger importance in the negotiations with insurance companies.

This week, Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská should meet the representatives of Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives. They should talk about increasing of their wages, which was brought by the new act and its consequences. New head of MoH sees a reason of current problem in the lack of communication. She should also discuss the situation in department with the representatives of Ministry of Finance. 

Since April nurses and midwives have a statutory entitlement for higher salaries. Hospital in Nitra will, according to its director, respect the law, but if hospital does not reach an agreement with health insurance companies, hospital will get into debt. This will start by delaying of payments for suppliers. Faculty hospital in Nitra is currently employing 558 nurses and 38 midwives. From April 1st the personnel costs on their wages will increase by approximately € 120 000 monthly. 

According to the President of Slovak Trade Union of Health and Social Services, Anton Szalay, trade unionist will not be quiet after taking up of new Government. They will immediately ask new Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská for convening of departmental tripartite, where they want to solve the current situation. Main requirement will be an increasing of payments for the state policyholders. Trade unionists are also closely watching the situation of the law on minimum wage claims of nurses and midwives and are requesting the competent persons for its observance. 

For now, General Prosecutor's Office has not decided on the initiative of Slovak Medical Chamber, by which they tried to stop the force of Act on minimum wage claims of nurses, which increases their wages from April. According to the spokeswoman of Prosecutor's Office, the supervising prosecutor asked Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family for the statement to this problem. 

Non-profit organization Hospitals and Polyclinics, which manages the hospitals in Žiar nad Hronom and Rimavská Sobota, is planning to buy a new equipment for the hospital in Žiar. Estimated value of the order is more than € 1.3 million. Hospital should receive the special medical technique in the frame of project of restructuring and modernization of the special outpatient care. Project will be financed from the Operational Programme Health.