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News
Most pharmaceuticals in Slovakia are prescribed for persons with cardio-vascular problems, especially pharmaceuticals for high blood pressure. This follows from the scale of 25 most prescribed pharmaceuticals in third quarter of last year, published by the National Health Information Centre. On the first place was a drug prescribed as an anti-inflammatory drug and anti-clotting drug together with pills for high blood pressure. Next was the drug for veins and afterwards the analgesic. Common illnesses, such as various colds and viral, are according to the National Health Information Centre treated by the over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
Participants of 3rd Slovak Vaccinological Congress, held in Tatras, do not agree with the fact, that GP's should be obligated to purchase from own resources the vaccines for mandatory vaccination guaranteed by state. In their opinion, sent to Minister of Health and President, they specified, that they are strongly identified with the joint statement of several medical associations, which in mid-December called upon the ministry to immediately ensure the fulfilment of mandatory obligations relating to the mandatory vaccination of persons.
Slovak family bank of umbilical cord blood is 10 years old. Since 2002 there has been stored umbilical cord blood of 41 339 children. Blood is still available for patients who pay for its storage. Beside that patients who may use the blood for their needs the bank can provide haematopoietic stem cells also to their siblings. Currently is also being considered its use for mothers.
Negotiations of Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik and representatives of the Association of Medical Emergency Services will continue. This is a result of their meeting. Minister and the Association believe that after all they will make an agreement and find the compromise. Both parties have a different view especially on the measure of profitability of emergency services. Ministry wants to reduce the profitability, but its ambition is to set up the system so that emergency medical service will be available and more effective.
Medical trade unionist are asking the members of Parliament not to approve the amendment to the Act on Healthcare Providers, which should give Government the right to decide about ending of strike of healthcare professionals. According the President of Medical Trade Union Marián Kollár these changes are perceived as an act of revenge and they are convinced, that this change has the only one objective, namely to prevent any resistance of doctors. Trade unionists invited other representatives of the employees to support their activities.
Association of emergency medical services announced before today's meeting on the Ministry of Health that it is prepared to accept the compromise, which will mean a saving for ministry and insurance companies with minimized impact on patients and the operation of emergency service. Association has allegedly prepared a few suggestions, such as transformation of first aid stations and the change could be reportedly done in a short time. The result should be an immediate saving and reduction of number of doctors in the system.
As in the past, also in third quarter of last year healthcare professionals working in state hospitals earned the most. Among them doctors the best paid doctors were in joint-stock companies, where they earned € 1 642 per month. In public hospitals operating under the Ministry of Health doctors earned € 1 642 per month and the least earned doctors in non-profit organizations, where it was € 1 390.
Doctors, who are getting out of stocks of vaccines, do not know, how long they will be able to vaccinate patients, as they are still refusing to agree with changes in payments for vaccines proposed by Ministry of Health and are considering the protests. Parents of young children as well as adults may soon come into a situation, when general practitioner will not vaccinate them, even though it is required by the law. Ministry of Health as well as Healthcare Surveillance Authority warn doctors, that with their attitude they threaten patients and also themselves.
Another cancellation of beds is about to take place in Slovak hospitals and also departments will be reduced, the daily Hospodárske noviny reports. Hospitals should miss out on about 3 000 beds. If the rationalization will take place, 6500 beds will disappear from the map within one year, as the insurance companies already realized one cancellation in July 2011 when the number of beds decreased by 3 300 and 156 departments were cancelled. According to the analyst from INEKO there still exists a space for cancellation of beds as the number of beds in Slovakia is above the average of OECD countries.
Reconstruction of the operating theaters in hospital in Komárno is completed. Operating theaters will be inaugurated on January the 24th this year. Nitra region as the owner of hospital invested € 452 000 in the reconstruction. The operator of hospital, non-profit organization PROLIFE, provided € 200 000 for the internal equipment of the theaters. Hospital in Komárno serves for the attraction zone of 110 000 inhabitants.
