BRATISLAVA, November 8, (WEBNOVINY) — An extraordinary parliamentary session to halt the process of transformation of the legal form of state-run hospitals will not be held on Friday, November 11, announced opposition SMER-SD leader Robert Fico after a meeting with President Ivan Gasparovic on Tuesday. At the meeting, the president assured Fico that “nothing will be happening” in hospitals. “Mr. president does not agree with the transformation and without him, transformation is not possible,” Fico said. Thus, a parliamentary session does not need to be held for this purpose, although the speaker of parliament already convened it for Friday at the request of over fifty SMER-SD deputies.
„A parliamentary session on Friday would be pointless; we are realists and satisfied with the result,” stated Fico. According to him, holding the session would be “kicking out an open door”. Fico added that thanks to an amendment to the constitution that includes strengthening the powers of president before the early elections, they achieved a result that they care about very much. The former prime minister added that if SMER-SD is a part of a new government, they will immediately remove the provisions on transformation of hospitals from the effective law.
On Tuesday morning, Parliamentary Speaker Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH) convened an unscheduled parliamentary session for Friday, November 11 based on the initiative of fifty-six SMER-SD deputies. MPs were expected to approve steps leading to a halt to the transformation of hospitals to joint stock companies. The opposition party wanted the parliament to pass a binding resolution that would oblige the government to immediately stop the process and submit legal amendments that would drop provisions on transformation from the amended law on health insurance companies.
President Ivan Gasparovic and Prime Minister Iveta Radicova confirmed on Monday that the process would be put on ice. “I respect the [current] status quo, there will be early elections, let the new government decide whether the form that we have prepared is the right one to ensure better operation of hospitals and spending of public funds,” the prime minister noted at the beginning of the week. Pursuant to the law, hospitals were to be transformed by the end of this year but justified cases were to be granted a six-month deferral. The Cabinet wants to make use of this postponement. Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik responded that he would abide by the decision of the head of state and the prime minister.
The halt of transformation of hospitals is one of four basic requirements voiced by doctors in return for the withdrawal of more than 2,000 notices tendered as of October 1. The president, the prime minister and the health minister expected that the physicians would take back their notices. However, head of the Medical Trade Unions Association Marian Kollar reminded that doctors presented four requirements and would not withdraw the notices for the time being. They also called for observance of the Labor Code, changes to the funding of the health sector and, above all, higher salaries.
SITA