We Are Family to Support Hospital Reform If Memorandum Demands Are Incorporated

Bratislava, November 30 (TASR) – Parliamentary Chair and We Are Family head Boris Kollar reported on Tuesday that his party would be willing to support the planned reform of the hospital network in Parliament if the demands of a memorandum for a better health-care system were incorporated into the reform.

On this note, Kollar called on Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky (an OLaNO nominee) to hold talks with the signatories of the memorandum. At the same time, the House chair claimed that he’s informed Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) about his demands. The memorandum was signed last week by the governors of Kosice, Presov and Banska Bystrica regions, head of the Doctors Trade Union Association Peter Visolajsky, the mayors of Brezno, Jelsava, Revuca and Zvolen (all Banska Bystrica region) and representatives of doctors.

The document called on Parliament to suspend the planned reform of the hospital network in order to adjust it, asking in particular for a guarantee that the reorganisation of inpatient care will not begin until the outpatient care system has been bolstered. The signatories explained that they’re convinced that the reform in its current version would lower accessibility to health care across the country.

Parliament should deal with the reform, which has been passed to its second reading, at the ongoing session. The aim of the reform is to divide hospitals in the country into five categories, namely national, tertiary, comprehensive, regional and community hospitals.