House overrides President's veto of bill on nurse salaries

Parliament on Tuesday overrode President Andrej Kiska's veto of the Health-care Providers Act, passing the bill unchanged from the previously approved version. The head of state argued that the explanatory memorandum to the bill provides no indication about the impact of the bill on the state or the Health Ministry's budget. Kiska also maintained that the envisaged changes fail to be covered sufficiently in terms of funding. Under the bill approved on November 25, health care workers both in state and private hospitals should see their salaries increased as of January. The pay rise should apply to over 20 occupations such as nurses, medical laboratory technicians and orderlies - but excluding doctors. Organisations consisting of medical workers have been unimpressed, however. They claim the legislation will increase only salaries at hospitals but not at doctor's offices, spas and social service facilities. As of Monday, the resignations of 1,041 nurses and midwives remain in effect. Another 223 of their peers have backtracked on their decision to resign while 78 new nurses have been hired in the interim. Speaking earlier on Tuesday before the bill was reapproved; Slovak Nurses and Midwives Chamber head Iveta Lazorová said that there will be more resignations if the veto is overridden. She said that Slovakia needs an additional 12,000 nurses, and there's no way those who have filed their notices could be replaced. If the bill is passed, she said the number of nurses in the system will never reach higher levels than at present.