BRATISLAVA, March 9, (WEBNOVINY) – Doctors, who have been pointing to chronic problems in the health care system in the long run, have decided to go from threats to action. The protest organized by the Slovak Union of Medical Specialists closed surgeries of specialist doctors for an hour from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. It was also joined by some doctors from faculty hospitals including doctors from the faculty hospital as well as polyclinics at Klokocina and Chrenova in Nitra.
The head of medical trade unions at the Faculty Hospital in Nitra, Peter Visolajsky, appealed to doctors in an e-mail to join the event by not seeing patients at that time, after posting a sign about their joining the protest.
“From an ideological standpoint, we agree with the idea and we support the union of specialists. However, by coincidence we have no doctor’s practices that could join the protest,” said head of the Cardiology Clinic Pavol Poliacik. The protest was supported by several doctors of Chrenova Polyclinics, among others by pediatrician Zuzana Miskejeova. “It would be good if such protest were joined by the general public, not only us doctors, as it affects them the most and they will start to suffer from the state not paying for their insurance,” she said. As cardiologist Stefan Paulov of Klokocina Polyclinic reported, 50 of 54 doctors in the hospital, both specialists and general practitioners, confirmed their participation. “In heath care, things do not work as they should. Negotiations with the ministry are useless. The minister receives the doctors, agrees with them on everything and does nothing else,” complained Paulov.
The Slovak Medical Chamber officially supported the protest as well as citizens who are organizing a petition to support the general demands of medical employees. As head of the petition committee Alzbeta Bukatova informed, they are preparing a nation-wide protest called “Red-White Day – We Want Health Care for Citizens” on March 23. “We are appealing to people of all towns and villages to dress in white and red as a sign of support on this day. In the streets we plan to explain to people what is happening in health care and we will be collecting signatures for the petition,” she stated.
Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik however condemns the idea of toying with the health of patients in Slovakia, which was one of his reactions to the protest. “I am on their side. The negotiations I lead are intensive. We want to agree on several things. We are open to a constructive dialogue. On the other hand, I reject one thing and that is gambling with the health of patients,” said Uhliarik.
Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik denies that patients’ health is at stake in Slovakia. “I’m on their side. The negotiations I lead are really intensive. […] We are open to constructive dialogue. On the other hand, there is one thing I refuse: to put the health of patients on the line,” said Uhliarik at Wednesday’s Cabinet session. According to him, he wants healthcare to be better at last, to be standard.
Uhliarik said that the protests make him more eager to improve healthcare so it reaches levels of European quality, adding that he respects the work of doctors and nurses together with their right to higher salaries. On the other hand, he underscored the poor situation of healthcare inherited from the previous government. “We will take measures to save some 80 million euro annually,” said Uhliarik. These funds can later be used to raise the salaries of health workers.
SITA