Slovakia’s new health service telephone line is to be created and operated under the Emergency Health Service Operational Centre, Parliament decided in a fast-tracked procedure on Thursday. Established for non-urgent medical problems, the new line 116117 is designed to help ease the burden on emergency line 155.
The 116117 hotline will be designated for non-urgent medical issues that do not require an immediate emergency response. It will provide consultations on health concerns, guidance on finding appropriate healthcare facilities, and coordination of planned inter-hospital transfers.
The Health Ministry shared that the number and frequency of non-emergency calls to the 155 hotline has been reducing the availability of emergency health services. The new hotline aims to ensure the system’s long-term sustainability.
Currently, around 20% of calls to 155 are classified as non-urgent and do not require an emergency response. The new hotline is scheduled to launch on April 15.
Source: TASR
