BRATISLAVA, November 26, (WEBNOVINY) – Negotiations between the Medical Trade Unions Association and politicians have been fruitless. A state of emergency will likely be declared as more than 2,000 doctors will not withdraw their resignation notices. Prime Minister Iveta Radicova convened an emergency Cabinet session for Saturday, where the decision on declaring a state of emergency will be made. “I am not happy about it, but we have no other choice,” Radicova commented. The Security Council of the Slovak Republic is to hold a session, too. President Ivan Gasparovic has decided to attend the session due to the circumstances, too.
President Gasparovic issued an ultimatum to the protesting hospital doctors midweek. Either they come to terms with Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik by Saturday or he will ask the Cabinet to declare a state of emergency. “The doctors will then have to return to work,” the president announced after meeting with medical trade unionists, the minister and representatives of hospitals. He believes this will not happen and doctors and the minister will come to an agreement. He promised trade unionists that a bill on cancellation of hospitals transformation will be submitted while increase in salaries could be at the same time anchored in legislation.
According to the Medical Trade Unions Association, as of the end of September of this year 2,411 doctors filed their resignation notices in 34 hospitals across Slovakia. Subsequently about 400 of them withdrew their notices. Altogether 7,500 doctors work at patients’ beds in Slovakia. The Medical Trade Unions Association has four demands on the government: to observe the Labor Code, change the system of health care funding, stop transformation of hospitals to joint-stock companies, and increase wages of health care employees.
SITA