The first results of a major audit at nine state-run university and faculty hospitals across Slovakia, carried out by the Supreme Audit Office (NKU) and taking into account the period 2011-2015, have revealed financial mismanagement and violations of the law. The report showed that the total loss of the hospitals in question reached €76.5 million and had multiple causes. The first one was the unrealistic financial management plans approved with the agreement of the Health Ministry. For each €100 worth of health services provided, hospitals had costs closer to €122.59 on average, with costs for the labour force and medical equipment recording the highest growth of 24%, and 18% respectively in the monitored period. Additionally, auditors found overpriced purchases of medical equipment in which prices increased between 32-167 percent. They also mentioned the lack of transparency of public procurement procedures. "In many cases, the tenders were won by companies that had been contacted by the hospitals beforehand in order to assess the estimated cost of the work. These companies were informed about the price levels and the intention to launch a tender in advance. So, they were given a competitive advantage over other participants in the tender," said Supreme Audit Office Spokesperson Daniela Bolech Dobáková, adding that the audit focused on tenders worth more than €200,000. The report adds that, apart from overpriced purchases, some hospitals' revenues are negatively affected by the outsourcing of the most lucrative parts, such as laboratories. Others, such as the University Hospital in Bratislava, have been struggling with old and rundown facilities, with hopes that the planned building of the new University Hospital will solve most of these problems.
The Health Ministry reacted by saying it respects the outcome of the audit and is fully prepared to cooperate with inspectors in the future as well. Its spokesperson Stanislava Luptaková told the TASR press agency that the ministry has launched 26 projects to improve the situation in health care, mainly by establishing transparent and efficient processes in the sector. She mentioned the establishment of the Office for Managing Subordinate Organisations, which, inter alia, supervises hospitals. Due to this office, individual hospitals can no longer carry out tenders and purchase equipment without the ministry's knowledge. Meanwhile the Supreme Audit Office will submit to law enforcement agencies its findings concerning dubious tenders at Bratislava's and Košice's university hospitals as well as those from faculty hospitals in Trenčín, Banská Bystrica and Prešov.
