At today's press conference, the Minister for Health, Zuzana Dolinková, informed the Ministry about the actions of the Ministry, which also noted the prioriization of health within individual departments. Since the start of the new management of the Ministry of Health, it has been necessary to take a number of fundamental decisions and to address key issues of the functioning of the sector. The Minister considers the following to be the most important in the ministry's activities over the last 100 days:
1.Increase the health budget by almost EUR 1 billion.
Despite the unfavourable state of public finances, 955 million euros more than in 2023 have been secured for 2024. Overall, it will send EUR 7.97 billion to health care. We are not only responsible for increasing resources from the Ministry of Finance, but also for consolidation measures. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?budget-navigation-mz-2024
2.We have allocated EUR 604 thousand for the modernisation of Children's Faculty Hospital in Banská Bystrica
The funds will be used to eliminate the emergency state of the air-conditioning equipment (EUR 223 200), modernization of the building and removal of emergency state of the infrastructure of the building (EUR 184 218), as well as to provide medical equipment and other equipment (EUR 1868 582) in the Children's Faculty Hospital with the poliklinika Banská Bystrica:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?budget-navigation-mz-2024
3.About €16.5 million were transferred to 12 Slovak hospitals in December 2023
These funds will be used mainly to deal with emergency states of subordinate organizations of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic. These financial resources will also be invested in the technical equipment of hospitals and national institutes, which will contribute to better quality and safer healthcare for patients. Capital expenditure will be directed to 12 health institutions. The biggest investments will be received by the University Hospital Bratislava, almost 5.96 million euros for a total of 52 projects. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?mz-hospital-capitalove
4.In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the academic community we increased the number of students at Slovak Medical Faculties by 150
In addition, 150 students and students of medicine will receive medical faculty in Slovakia from the next academic year. This is the first step in fulfilling the Slovak Government's commitment to provide the order of the state to increase the number of students from Slovakia in selected study programmes and higher education departments. At the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava it will be possible to accept 45 more medics, at the University of Jessenio Medical University in Martin 30 more candidates. At the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice, there will be 45 new extra doctors and 30 additional students at the Slovak Medical University. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?medical-faculty-navigation-of-study
5.Optimisation of hospital network
We have included all hospitals in the network under the law and, because of the inactivity of the previous government, we have had to postpone waiting times for performances. At the same time, we have started processes in connection with the implementation of waiting periods and their eligibility by the patient since 1 January 2025. We've stopped the obstetrics interference until the minimum safety net has been completed and patients' transfers resolved. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?mz-hospital-optimisation-negotiation
6.St Martin University Hospital in Martin
The Ministry of Health, together with the new management of St Martin University Hospital in Martin, records the construction of a new hospital financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan against the approved timetable, especially in the process of public procurement of the contractor, land settlement and authorisation processes. The Ministry draws attention to these problems in order to avoid a scenario such as the construction of the UN Rázsochy and to propose to the hospital so-called action steps to accelerate the implementation of the project. Minister for Health Zuzana Dolinková is committed to controlling the project on a weekly basis. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?mz-hospital-martin-project-procurement
7.Technical assistance Ukraine
In cooperation with the Rescue Health Service Bratislava and the Spiš Catholic Charity, the Ministry of Health sent to Ukraine 16 emergency medical service vehicles to help Ukrainians provide humanitarian care. These vehicles were surplus property of the Rescue Health Service Bratislava. They are fully equipped and ready to provide humanitarian care. So far, they have been fully serviced and adapted to operate under the most difficult combat conditions. They were transported to Ukraine through cooperation with Spišská Catholic Charity.
Subsequently, the Ministry with its partners allocated 8 additional emergency medical services vehicles to Ukraine. For more information:https://www.health.gov.sk/Clanok?mz-sanitary-Ukraine
The commitment of Minister of Health Zuzana Dolinková together with her team at the Ministry is soon to take a decision on the construction of a new university hospital in Bratislava.