BRATISLAVA, December 7, (WEBNOVINY) — The Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ) has so far not declared strike alert due of the situation in Zilina Hospital, because, according to its chairman Peter Visolajsky, they want to calm the situation. At the same time, however, he did not rule out any further action by trade unions if the problem is not resolved with overtime work. The LOZ chairman did not rule out that a similar scenario could be used also in other hospitals across Slovakia.
Doctors at Zilina Hospital on Thursday collectively refused to serve overtime services. According to Visolajsky, this was an expression of solidarity with colleagues in orthopedic department [who were laid off – SITA note] and opposition to the use of military doctors in the hospital to staff afternoon and night shifts.
Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenska described the decision of doctors from the Zilina Hospital to refuse to work overtime only tens of minutes before the start of their designated shift as unethical and immoral. She said that lawyers are reviewing whether this is not a criminal offense.
On Thursday afternoon, 134 of 228 doctors from the Zilina Hospital announced they would not serve on overtime emergency service. However, the hospital managed to secure doctors for the services from among those doctors from the Zilina Hospital who did not join this form of protest and three doctors from outside. If necessary, it has additional 29 military and nine police doctors on standby.
Doctors at the orthopedic department at the Zilina Hospital announced their refusal to serve overtime emergency services after they received notices from the hospital management as of December 1, allegedly due to their redundancy. In an expression of solidarity, gradually other doctors joined the protest. Doctors failed to agree with the hospital management on restoring proper functioning of the trauma department of Zilina Hospital, even after several hours of negotiations on Thursday afternoon. Talks with the management are continuing on Friday afternoon.
SITA