Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:49

After the acquisition of several regional hospitals the investment company Penta is admitting a firing of employees, according to Pravda daily (12/10/2011). Hospitals will reportedly begin to provide everything centrally, as well as service activities such as cleaning, laundry and catering. And here is probably the point, where employees should be prepared to lose their jobs.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:47

According to daily Hospodárske noviny from 12/10/2011 Trade unions in Faculty hospital for children appeal for director Daniel Žitňan to resign in 24 hours. Allegedly he required doctors to work another 8 hours after 24-hours long service without the rest. However, director sees no reason for resignation. According to him doctors concluded two contracts – one for work through the day and one through the night – and so they work voluntarily.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:43

According to Dean of Medical faculty of Comenius University the transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies can limit the education of future physicians. He said for online news site aktualne.sk the hospitals will spare at the expanse of medic´s education and the science and research. The ministry of Health refuses this fact and declares that the teaching of new doctors will be improved – better management will reportedly lead to higher savings, which can be used also for teaching physicians.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:41

Plan to build a common hospital of ministries of defense and home affairs will probably fail. Although under the original terms of both departments it was already planned to be open next month, ministers are currently more engaged in the way how to completely stop the project. They wish to use the money assigned for building to common expenses of their departments.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:39

According to daily Pravda from 11/10/2011 Penta bought the company Estate Consult, which is the 100% owner of the company Svet zdravia. This one is an operator in ten hospitals in the cities: Humenné, Svidník, Spišská Nová Ves, Rožňava, Trebišov, Michalovce, Partizánske and Vranov nad Topľou. Company did not disclose the amount of the transaction. Upon entry into hospitals Penta is reportedly preparing measures to improve the management of hospitals.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:38

Medical trade union continues in collecting of the notices. These are the conclusions of several hours of discussions between trade union and health minister Ivan Uhliarik. The main problem remains the transformation of hospitals into the joint-stock companies.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:36

In December 2011 comes into practice a regulation, which introduces a new price referencing of the pharmaceuticals. While until now the maximum price of the producer cannot achieve an average of 6 lowest prices in EU, newly it should not reach the level of the second lowest price. According to the Slovak association of pharmaceutical companies this regulation can motivate an action to increase the export of pharmaceuticals from Slovakia. Association, however, declares to do everything to make pharmaceuticals available.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:33

According to daily Pravda from 30/9/2011 the private equity group Penta, which has already invested in the health sector in the past, has declared its interest in investing in this sector again. Within a few months it should start to buy regional hospitals. Penta is allegedly discussing in all countries of V4. It will be important, however, if the system will support the transparence or the state redistribution.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:30

Health insurance companies are monitoring the hospitals where physicians handed their notices Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (VšZP) began to establish the exact number of doctors who resigned in particular hospitals. Reason is to provide health care to patients. VšZP is interested in how many doctors are about to leave on 1. December 2011 from various hospital departments and also takes into account the exact number of attested and unattested doctors in these departments.

Tuesday, 18. October 2011, 12:28

According to daily Hospodárske noviny from 7/10/2011 nurses are also considering notices. At the national meeting on Saturday they are about to decide what happens next. One possibility is the departure. Many nurses already work in joint-stock companies and receive only minimum wage. Chamber of nurses and midwives has been negotiating for three months with the Ministry of Health, which already promised some improvements.