Europe is facing an energy crisis. Households are at risk and some companies have already stopped production. Representatives of the Slovak Government claim that this problem can be solved through negotiations at European level. The ministers have not agreed on how the Slovak government will help people and companies. They argued about it at six meetings. However, Marcel Klimek, State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, warns that the situation is alarming. "We have been hit by a pandemic that has hit the health sector very hard. This time we have a financial-energy crisis in the range of 13-14 per cent of GDP, which Slovakia, its economy and households cannot cope with without help and compensation." Moreover, problems are mounting for hospitals as well. Some facilities are registering energy price hikes sometimes in the hundreds of percent. According to Miroslav Valaštík, director of the office of the Association of Slovak Hospitals (ANS), this can have devastating consequences. According to him, without a quick solution there is a risk of collapse. "The increase in energy prices without their compensation will clearly mean limitation or even impossibility of the operation of medical facilities in the regions, with all the consequences that means for patients," he stated. The Association is communicating with the Ministry of Health on this matter. According to him, Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽANO) announced at the Economic and Social Council that the government wants to help healthcare institutions with the negative development on the energy market.
Source: TASR, RTVS
