There is no other solution than for doctors to resign en masse, said the head of the Doctors’ Trade Unions Peter Visolajský following talks held at the Government Office last week. "I want to call on all doctors in Slovak hospitals to join the pressure on the Government by handing in their notices, as we have no other way," he said, adding that some 3,500 doctors have declared their will to do so. Visolajský pointed to the fact that the Government still has not presented solutions to some of the demands made by doctors’ unions, although the negotiations have been lasting for 10 months.
The Doctors’ Trade Unions head also reacted to the proposal for increase in doctors' salaries presented by Finance Minister Igor Matovič and Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský on Friday.
The minimum salary coefficient should go up from 1.25 to 1.4 times the average salary for doctors without an attestation, while it should remain unchanged at the level of 2.3-times the average salary in the case of doctors with an attestation. For both groups, salaries should also depend on the number of years spent at work. For all doctors, regardless of whether they have an attestation or not, the coefficient should be increased by 0.01 times the average salary for each year. The increase would apply to the first 20 years in service.
According to Visolajský , the salary increase itself will not solve the problem. He pointed out, for example, the need to establish order in hospital financing and to introduce the DRG system. Lengvarský at a news conference on Friday said they will also address other demands of doctors' trade unions, declaring they want to take the other steps as soon as possible.
Source: TASR
