Nurses discuss salaries, powers with Health Minister

Nurses met new Health Minister Viliam Čislák for the first time on Tuesday since he was installed into office in early November. Issues under debate were, aside from nurses' salaries, the range of powers of the Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives (SKSaPA) and whether nurses should be given more authority. SKSaPA continues to demand a salary rise for nurses working in both state-run and other facilities. The chamber's chief Iveta Lazorová said that as private hospital operators receive public funding, there should be a law setting minimum salaries for nurses working in such facilities. The Health Ministry called the meeting constructive and acknowledged the chamber's attitude and readiness to compromise. "They want to move forward with the issue of salaries. The Health Ministry has the same goal", said ministry spokesperson Martina Šoltésová. Lazorová pledged a constructive approach when it comes to salaries so that the chamber "doesn't become a brake in the drafting of the new law". Nurses also request that their powers be extended in diagnostics and treatment so that they would be able to provide intubation and extubation as well as removing stitches following operations.