LOZ: Doctors across Slovakia Withdraw Resignation Notices

       Bratislava, December 31 (TASR) - Doctors across Slovakia have withdrawn their resignation notices, chairman of the Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ) Peter Visolajsky confirmed for TASR on Tuesday.
        "Doctors all over Slovakia have withdrawn their resignation notices. Now it's the government's turn to keep its promises and to adopt the changes that the doctors demanded at the first session of Parliament," Visolajsky told TASR.
        On behalf of the government, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) on December 20 signed an agreement with LOZ on establishing social reconciliation in the health-care sector. In it, the government committed itself to fulfilling a number of the medical trade union's demands. The two sides will also continue to negotiate on disputed points. The conclusion of the agreement managed to prevent a collapse of hospitals, which was threatened due to the resignation notices filed by more than 3,300 doctors. After the signing of the agreement, Visolajsky announced that doctors would return to hospitals on a conditional basis and that the government would have to keep its promises by the end of February 2025.

       The Health Ministry will continue to work for a better Slovak health-care system, said Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) in response to the fact that doctors across Slovakia began withdrawing their resignation notices on Tuesday.
        "The problem has been resolved. There is no threat of mass resignation notices from doctors as of the New Year. We'll continue to work for a better Slovak health-care system," Sasko wrote on a social network.

       Seven of the 42 doctors working for the Penta Hospitals network who submitted resignation notices haven't withdrawn them, spokesman for the network Tomas Kral told TASR on Tuesday, adding that this won't endanger the provision of health care.
        "Of a total of 42 resignation notices, only seven remain outstanding across the network. We've accepted the free decision of these remaining doctors. This number in no way threatens the provision of health care in our catchment regions and certainly not in Slovakia," Kral told TASR.

        All doctors working for the Agel network of hospitals have withdrawn their resignation notices, Agel's deputy spokesperson Jarmila Sevcikova told TASR on Tuesday, adding that all Agel medical facilities will continue to provide health care.