IntoBalance 09/2008 (english)

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.

Private health insurance company Dôvera prepares for mandate administration of claims on contributions. It will cover 94 000 debtors with total debts € 45.5 million. Debtors were given the last opportunity to avoid execution. Obtained money will insurance company use for financing of health care next year.

Managements of hospitals and Ministry of Health have prepared the contingency plans for the case of real departure of doctors, who have resigned. However, they will not disclose them at least until the end of October to give doctors a chance to withdraw the notices. Allegedly the most urgent situation is in children̍s' hospitals, and therefore the contingency plans there are very exact. Plans in different hospitals vary, as some doctors are gradually withdrawing the notices.

Process of hospital transformation into joint-stock companies which already begun could be stopped. Its stopping is one of the most important requirements of the doctors, who have submitted the mass notices. Next Wednesday Minister of Health plans to ask the government to take a clear position. If the government confirms his mandate, he will continue with the transformation. If the government revokes it, he will prepare the transformation agenda for the future government, which will be elected in the early elections in March 2012.

Patients already suffer for the mass resignation of doctors. Some of the departing physicians are, after the agreement with the hospitals, drawing their leave of absence. Patients are therefore re-booked for the other terms. In the case of real departure of doctors, besides the postponement of the planned operations, the merging of departments or transfer of money to the hospitals, which will provide full health care, will also occur. However, the Minister of Health is convinced, that most doctors, who resigned, will not leave.

Minister of Finance Ivan Mikloš considers the possible stoppage of transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies for bad and irresponsible step. According to him, refusal of this change would lead to enormous indebtedness of health care system and public finance. The minister said, that transformation of hospitals is one of the most effective tools to reduce costs, inefficiency, waste and theft. Hospitals functioning as a subsidized organization have allegedly problem even to show the amount of their debt.

According to daily SME from 28/10/2011 companies could save thousands of euros since next year. This should be allowed by the amendment to the Act on occupational safety and health at work. All of the companies currently have to pay for the occupational health services. Since new year it should only be mandatory for the companies, whose employees have hazardous work, namely those in the categories 3 and 4. The occupational health services includes regular preventive examinations as well as supervising of the health environment.