BRATISLAVA, April 2, (WEBNOVINY) — Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik (KDH) of the outgoing government of Iveta Radicova resolutely rejects any non-systemic pouring of money into the health care sector without improving effectiveness of hospitals. He told a news conference on Monday the hospitals will have the money to pay higher salaries to nurses gradually as they should save up to EUR 50 million on drugs this year. Further EUR 30 million should be gained in improved collection of premiums by health insurers. There is a reserve in the state budget of EUR 50 million. “I have not heard about any systemic changes just as we saw none in 2006-2010 either,” was Uhliarik’s reply to statements of SMER nominees for senior positions Richard Rasi and Zuzana Zvolenska who criticized on Sunday the situation that emerged after to the law on minimum wage entitlements of nurses and midwives came into effect on April 1. He reiterated that if he had been an outpatient doctor, he would have given his nurse a salary in line with the law and in any case he would not have been pressing on her to quit.
Uhliarik deems his successor Zuzana Zvolenska a woman who understands numbers. He added that he will hand over his office to her in person.
Uhliarik considers the greatest achievements of his mission at the health department the recovery of the state-run health insurer VsZP, which he took over with debts mounting to over EUR 100 million. He underscored that unlike SMER that spoke about canceling 6,000 sickbeds when it was last in government, he actually canceled 3,000 of them.
SITA