Representatives of organizations in the health sector think that at some point healthcare will no longer be available, at least during the crisis situation in which Slovakia finds itself. President of the Federation of Employers’ Associations of the Slovak Republic Tomas Malatinsky said at Tuesday’s press conference that we are nearing a collapse due to the lower payments for state policyholders projected in the general government draft budget for next year. This year’s budget earmarked 1.43 billion euro, while it will be 1.1 billion next year.
“The health system lacks personnel capacity; the health reform is not finished either,” Malatinsky stated. President of the Association of Hospitals of Slovakia Marian Petko said that an apocalypse in the Slovak health system definitely lies ahead. The mass departure of healthcare workers will continue, according to him. The association was notified of departures to Hungary in the south and to Poland in the north, where they provide after-hours care. President of the Association of Outpatient Providers Jaroslava Orosova added that the collapse of the health sector will come about in the coming years. She assumes it will start next year.
Outpatient offices are closing down without replacement. The budget, according to experts, is absolutely inadequate and unless it is changed, the existing problems will escalate. They maintain that the budget has to be at least at this year’s level, and should take into consideration the inflation rate, unless the relevant authorities want to raise it.
The Finance Ministry denies that any purely accounting decision would have a direct impact on the operation of hospitals or would in any way endanger healthcare provision to patients. “The state has to provide adequate healthcare funding on an ongoing basis in compliance with the law on health insurance,” the press department of the ministry responded. “If it turns out that the third wave is not causing the anticipated postponement of health care, the Finance Ministry will provide funding for all healthcare provided in compliance with the legislation,” the ministry stated.
