IntoBalance 09/2008 (english)

Trade unions and Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik did not agree even after second round of negotiations. More than 2 400 physicians therefore insist on their notices. The Minister reiterated, that in some matters they were able to move forward, but by the others they could not reach an agreement. After the meeting trade unions recapitulated, that they are insufficient by the promises of minister and require legislative assurances for the solution of their requirements. They plan to contact Prime minister and other parliamentary parties to seek the action to ensure the health care in Slovakia.

According to daily Hospodárske noviny from 20/10/2011 a planned operations are postponed even on the other clinics belonging to the University hospital in Bratislava. They are determined by the limits set by Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company), which hospital began to follow with the goal not to increase its debt. According to spokeswoman from University hospital, these problems will disappear at the end of this year. Unions, however, oppose and argue that if hospital will not receive more money and will be transformed into joint-stock company at the end of the year, it will work in limited mode.

Lack of payments for services in health care are reportedly the main reason for indebtedness of Slovak hospitals. The question of whether the causes of indebtedness are insufficient payments from insurance companies or wasting in hospitals should be resolved by the implementation of DRG system, the payment system for diagnosis. Ministry of Health, hospitals and insurance companies expect the DRG system will bring fairer allocation of funds as well as their effective use.

2 800 mothers rated maternity hospitals in Slovakia through the program named Maternity guide. According to them the best maternity hospitals are in Banska Stiavnica, Ruzomberok and Bardejov. The list continues with the maternity hospital in Levoca and Brezno. Hospital Kramare was the best ranked hospital in Bratislava and ended on the eighth place in the overall assessment. Mothers rated for example the pre-delivery care, first moments after birth, staff professionalism, respect for individual needs, etc. Maternity guide (sprievodcaporodnicami.sk) is common project of the website rodinka.sk and Health Policy Institute.

Doctors from East Slovak Cancer Institute in Kosice may use a modern and safer technology by the executing of radiation therapy of some cancer diseases. According to press agency SITA, the Institute purchased a special software for brachytherapy led by computed tomography (CT) or the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Brachytherapy is more efficient and safer method, since the radiation source is getting close to the tumor, thereby it is minimizing the adverse effects of radiation on other organs.

Minister of Health analyzed the trade union's draft bill on salaries of physicians and afterwards informed trade unionist, that law has a number of legislative mistakes. Minister agrees to increase the salaries of doctors, but encourages them to come up with constructive draft bill with real requirements, because this one is supposedly detached from reality. He proposed them to set up an expert group to prepare a clear legislative bill. The trade unionists agreed with this proposal.

Private physicians encourage the reduction of opening hours of out-patient emergency operation by 10 pm suggested by the Ministry of Health. In the opinion of Association of Private Physicians this proposal will significantly mitigate the impact of legal obligation to provide emergency services stated for general practitioners and also will positively affect the conditions of operation of emergency posts.

Stoppage of the transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies proposed by the opposition party Smer was undergone. The amendment to the Act on educational staff was not voted. The opposition had previously announced, that if the proposal will not pass, it will be submitted on the next parliamentary session. Amendment should have amended the Act on health care providers by deleting the provisions about transformation.

Patients in Slovakia bought in the first quarter of this year without prescription a total of approximately 9.6 million packages of medicines and paid for them more than € 31 million. Each Slovak purchased in average 1.8 of the pack of over-the-counter medications and pay for them cca € 5.8. This information was published by the National Centre for Health Information. 80% of medications were intended for the pain, cough, colds and indigestion.

Commission overseeing the bail-out of the hospitals in transition confirmed until 20 October 339 agreements between health care institutions and creditors in an amount of more than € 104.5 million. Ministry of Health reported, that the amount has been transferred to  special bank accounts of hospitals. Ministry assumes after entering of payments into the state treasury system and its verification, the first payments will be credited to the creditors' accounts by the end of next week.