How to keep doctors in Slovakia?

The Health Ministry wants to positively motivate the graduates of medical faculties to stay in Slovakia, said ministry spokesperson Zuzana Eliášová in response to the Opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party's proposal that graduates of medicine working abroad for more than five years should have to pay for their studies in Slovakia retroactively. Roughly a third of graduates of medical schools leave to work abroad every year, according to estimates of the Institute of Health Policy which is the ministry's analytical unit. The shortage of personnel has been a long-term issue in Slovakia as the system is currently missing around 3,300 doctors, with GPs, surgeons, intensive care specialists and gynaecologists being the most affected. Authorities want to increase the number of doctors by boosting the number of students admitted into medicine faculties as of September by 185, simplifying the process of hiring doctors and nurses from non-EU countries as well as the so-called resident programme, which helps to send specialists to less developed Slovak regions. The Health Ministry says that the liberals' proposal has to be analysed to see if it's in line with EU rules concerning the free movement of people. More on this topic in next Monday's edition of Slovakia today.