Tag: Ministry of Health

According to analyses of Transparency International Slovakia (TIS), Ministry of Health decides which drugs will be covered by health insurance not always in accordance with applicable regulations. TIS analysis points out that half of the applications for new drugs in the past year have not been settled up within the statutory period of six months; the ministry generally lacked expert opinions, and never once was assessing the cost-effectiveness and impact on public finances, despite the fact that the law requires it. Health insurance companies paid annually on drugs 850 million euros, what represents about a third of the total cost on health care from public sources. The analysis examined the categorization of drugs for about one year.

Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska wants the public hospitals were in balanced economy in 2015. Ministry of Health wants to erase debts in next two years in its 13 facilities – the big university and teaching hospitals. Late last year, these hospitals owed ​​about 320 million euros. Half of this amount consisted of overdue liabilities. How long hospitals pay invoices, the ministry does not know. Suppliers complain about long, even several years repayment period. Ministry wants to make hospitals align their management especially by layoffs, buying cheaper medicines, reducing operating costs and increase the charges.

Reducing the loss of public hospitals began Ministry of Health already last. Loss of 156 million euros, according to Minister Zvolenska, hospitals cut to 116 million last year.

Health care in Slovakia have become familiar with receiving additional state funding packages in recent years to avert its financial collapse. At program Veriteľ hospitals did not have repay the so-called Raši loan. Former Minister of Health Uhliarik´s preparation of hospitals to transformation into joint stock companies has required € 300 million extras. Increased salaries were also support from the government reserve. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska says that except the contribution from health insurance companies will not be any additional resources. In coming years, to unsystematic external financing will state have no resources.  

Willem van Duin, chief of Achmea, thinks that for Slovakia would be most reasonable to pay for lose Arbitrage as soon as possible, because every month of delay must pay a penalty of 50-thousand euros. Slovakia, according to W. van Duin, could challenge only serious procedural violation, however, it has already tried to and did not succeed. Arbitral tribunal itself was chosen strictly by international rules Uncitral: one arbitrator was chosen by Slovakia, the second by Achmea and both of them chose the president of the court. As said van Duin, the decision was unanimous and he cannot imagine that Slovakia, as the rule of law and a member of EU, refused to pay.

According to the statement of Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska, government will not get healthcare into debt by creating a single health insurance company. To purchase or expropriate private health insurance companies will not use money intended for providers and patients. She has responded to the former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik (KDH), who said that any government has no right to debt the healthcare for decades. Zvolenská advocates creation of a unitary health system by argument that new system will provide greater satisfaction with healthcare. Plurality system, according to her, brought only chaos. Zvolenska also stated that in case of creating a one health insurance company is not worried of arbitration.

Striking doctors in Hospital in Žilina still did not come to an agreement with the management of Hospital. According to spokeswoman of Ministry of Health Zuzana Čižmáriková, the hospital still can provide emergency services during following days.
Ministry of Health Zuzana Zvolenská came to the hospital immediately after her arrive from Brussels to stop all elective surgeries.

Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska dismissed the director of psychiatric hospital in Veľké Zálužie, Mrs. Mária Kabátová. This step has evocated a strong negative reaction of facility staff. They sent an anonymous letter to the Minister of Health in which decision to revoke the director severely criticized. They indicate that the decision has had a political overtone, as Minister dismissed the director of a thriving medical facility for any reason. Zvolenska refused to explain the reasons that led her to revocation of the director.

Ministry of Health will have € 350 000 more available for the computerization of healthcare system. Government on Wednesday approved the requirement of the Ministry for re-allocation of capital expenditures from previous year. Money originally intended for rationalization and restructuring of healthcare institutions in scope of Ministry and their subsequent transformation into the joint-stock companies, will be now used for supporting projects of e-health. Specifically it will be an ensuring of protection of personal data and database.  

Minister of Health perceives the extension of validity of licences for ambulances rather as a technical adjustment, which should have resulted from the technical requirements of the providers. Amendment to the act on healthcare providers should besides longer licences bring also the changes in the way of the selection procedure of the providers of ambulances, where the new requirements are being added. This way, according to Zvolenská, the Ministry responds to the finding of the court, where the previous system of distribution of licences, made by former Minister Richard Raši, has ended. The reason for this should have been the requirements in the frame of selection proceeding beyond the law.

Medical Trade Union calls on Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská to submit the proposal, which contains the exact term of implementation of legislative guarantee of the third increasing of salaries of doctors. As was further stated in the statement provided by the President of the Union, Peter Visolajský, they are also asking the Minister for not connecting the experiment of implementation of unitary system with the legislative guarantee of third increasing of salaries.