Lawmakers advanced the legislation, based on a deal clinched between the government and the LOZ doctors' labour unions, into a second reading with 77 votes out of 77 MPs present on Tuesday.
Parliament deliberated on the bill in a fast-tracked procedure. LOZ unionists underlined that the decision to withdraw mass resignations of more than 3,000 hospital doctors is contingent on the passing of the legislation.
According to the agreement with the trade unions, the changes should concern an increase in doctors' salaries, the enactment of staffing standards in hospitals or the reduction of working hours of medical staff in hospitals. The obligations of health insurance companies and the Health-care Supervision Office (UDZS) should also be modified.
LOZ head Peter Visolajsky called on MPs to approve the health legislation without additional changes and in the wording that is based on the agreement concluded at the end of 2024, stressing that lawmakers should defend the interests of the people and patients and not the interests of financial groups.
"We are sticking to the agreement we made with the government on December 20 [2024]. That agreement has obligations for both sides. From our side, it was the withdrawal of resignation notices on condition that these laws are fulfilled and enforced in Parliament. They are to be tabled today, in a form they should be passed, we'll take a stand on that and review what actually passed, in what wording. If they are changed, we'll regard that as a breach of the agreement. And a violation of the agreement that we made with the government means that our labour contracts will end on February 28, for those 3,300 doctors," stated Visolajsky.
Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Hlas-SD) in December 2024 signed an agreement with the LOZ on behalf of the government to set up social reconciliation in the health-care sector. In it, the government committed itself to fulfilling a number of the medical trade unionists' demands. The conclusion of the agreement prevented a collapse of hospitals, which was threatened due to the resignation notices of more than 3,300 doctors. The doctors returned to the hospitals on condition that the government will adopt bills by the end of February 2025 as it was agreed. Otherwise, the doctors will leave the hospitals in March.
Source: TASR
