BRATISLAVA, November 10, (WEBNOVINY) — The Health Ministry wants to continue the process of settling the debts of state-run hospitals, although transformation of their legal form to joint-stock companies was stopped. The ministry said this in reaction to information brought by the SME daily, according to which the Finance Ministry has halted the process. “We consider the Finance Ministry’s decision to be temporary”, the Health Ministry says in a statement. According to the department, the government and parliament decided upon this so-called financial stabilization of indebted state-run hospitals. Therefore, the power to stop the process is theirs, too. Based on effective resolutions, the Health Ministry has until December 31, 2011, to ensure the financial stabilization process.
The Finance Ministry has a different opinion. It points out that the Parliament committed the government to settle the hospitals’ debts within their transformation into joint-stock companies. Transformation has been halted until early parliamentary elections. “It is therefore in complete accordance with this resolution to stop the debt settling process once the transformation process was halted,” Finance Minister Ivan Miklos said. He added that it is thus not true that stopping the financial stabilization process is in contradiction with the parliament’s will.
In September, parliamentary deputies approved the use of EUR 350 million from the state coffers to settle hospitals’ debts. According to SME, EUR 310 million has already been used. The Finance Ministry is allegedly considering the option of requesting the money to be returned.
SITA