The accession of the Slovak Republic to the European Union has positively influenced the various areas of our economic and social life. Cooperation also increased between regions. The nearest neighbour of the Bratislava region are the Länder of Lower Austria and Burgenland. We go to Austria not only to shop, several Slovaks work there, study there, some to find new residence there.
The European Union supports the convergence of border regions in the Interreg programme. The co-financing of projects in the Interreg programme is provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic.
The Interreg V-A programme of the Slovak Republic is currently focused on innovation, natural and cultural heritage, environmental solutions in transport and institutional cooperation. The project Bridges for Birth, implemented by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic with the Lower Austria Health and Social Fund, is included in the last mentioned area. The strategic partner of the project is the National Institute of Children's Diseases in Bratislava (NÚDCH).
The Ministry of Health has taken an important step in cross-border patient care by responding positively to the Austrian party's request to build stable and sustainable institutional cooperation between Austria and the Slovak Republic. The need for mutual cooperation and cross-border healthcare results from an increase in the population in the border region.
The hospital in Hainburg does not have its own neonatological department, emergency cases are transported to the nearest hospital in Mistelbach 74 km, despite the fact that NÚDCH is only 16 km away. During the implementation of the project, cooperation was established between Hainburg Hospital and NÚDCH as well as between rescue services of both countries. A pilot project for the transfer of five neonatal patients from Hainburg Hospital to NÚDCH is planned for the 29 months of the project (June 2018 - October 2020).
During the implementation of the Bridges for Birth project, Slovak emergency services to Austria will be resolved, as there is currently no priority driving during the transfer of patients. Legal and customs-law issues will be handled by an internal expert group which will also make proposals for the necessary changes to legislation. In addition, long-term and stable funding opportunities will be developed. A proposal for a future emergency service contract for the transfer of neontological patients will also be drawn up.
The potentials of future cross-border patient care will be defined in the strategic plan of the
Our project will lay the cornerstone of long-term cross-border cooperation in the field of health in the Slovak-Austrian border region. A framework for cross-border care will be established under the pilot project based on the partnership established between Hainburg Hospital and NÚDCH. The cooperation of emergency services will clarify the legal, technical and financial issues necessary for cross-border transfers of patients.
The Bridges for Birth project represents practically the first important step towards cross-border patient care, which will be able to remove or overcome existing administrative and legal obstacles and thus align the performance of health systems with the needs of the local population. As a result of these positive changes, the availability of healthcare in the border region will be ensured, which will contribute to improving living conditions and the quality of life of the population.
Contact:
Ing. Zuzana Matlonová, PhD.
Tel.: 00421 918 576 623
Email: zuzana.matlonova@health.gov.sk
Julia Winkler, MA
Tel: +43 676 858 70 32026
Email: Julia.winkler@healththacross.at
Die Grenzregion Österreich-Slowakei wächst immer stärker zusammen, auch im Gesundheitswesen. Im Rahmen des INTERREG V-A SK-AT 2014-2020 Projekts ÞBridges for BirthÞ haben sich das Gesundheitsministerium der Slowakischen Republic und die NÖ Landesgesundheitsagenttur zusammengeschlossen, um eine qualityiv hochwertige und wohnortnánie Gesundheitsversorgung für die Bürgerinnen und Bürger der Grenzregion bereitzustellen. Im Pilotprojekt wird eine Partnerschaft zwischen dem Landesklinikum Hainburg und dem Nationalen Institut für Kinderkrankheiten Bratislava aufgebaut, um im Bedarfsfall neonatologistische Notfälle aus dem LK Hainburg ins nahegelegene Klinikum in Bratislava transferieren zu können. Anhand des neonalogischen Transfers wird auch die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Rettungsdiensten weiter vertieft. Neben Patienteninformationen werden zudem zukünftige Co-operationspotentiale erarbeitet, um eine langfristige grenzüberschreitende Gesundheitsversorgung zwischen Niederösterreich und der Slowakei zu etabilieren. Das mit EU-Mitteln ko-finanzierte Project läuft von Juni 2018 bis April 2022.
The Slovak-Austrian border region is becoming increasingly interconnected, including in health care. As part of the project "Bridges for Birth' INTERREG V-A SK-AT 2014-2020, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic and the Lower Austria State Health Agency (NÖ Landesgesundheitsagentur) have come together to ensure high quality and accessible healthcare for citizens of the border region. The pilot project establishes a partnership between the regional hospital in Hainburg and the National Institute of Children's Diseases in Bratislava to transfer neo-natal cases from the Hainburg regional hospital to the nearby Bratislava clinic if necessary. Cooperation between emergency services will be further enhanced through neo-natal transfer. In addition to patient information, the potential for future cooperation to introduce long-term cross-border healthcare between Lower Austria and Slovakia is also developing. The project co-financed by EU funds runs from June 2018 to April 2022.